


Ticking

by SunnyDonna



Series: Shy Little Speedster [2]
Category: DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Gen, The entire Justice League, Training, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:56:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 79,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyDonna/pseuds/SunnyDonna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally's finally got the speed he always wanted! His parents are acting weirdly distant. But it's okay. Because he has speed and once he can use it, he'll be okay. He has this summer to get back to normal and focus again. Barry's busy with all the different facets of his life- most importantly, the Justice League First Year Anniversary is set for the end of August.  and everyone is waiting for the inevitable explosion to occur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. West Family Conundrum

"You want Wally to spend the summer with you?" asked Mary blankly, sitting across from Iris, Barry and Jay in her living room. Over the years, the couches had become worn and the fabric was slightly pinched and weathered. The walls were covered in family photos taken at various events, but overall, it was a rather pleasant atmosphere. Except the people inhabiting it were filling the air with tension. Wally was sitting beside his mother, his hands locked in hers. Rudy was standing beside the couch, his face twisted into a scowl.

"We think it could be beneficial for Wally to stay with us and work on his focus," said Iris pleasantly, "It's really a simple program. Jay here has worked with kids who've suffered recent trauma and Barry and I are positive that he'll have Wally back in shape in no time at all."

"It'll be great mom!" said Wally enthusiastically, squeezing her hands as Mary glanced warily between the three adults and her son, "Mr. G is totally cool! We ran through some exercises and I managed to finish two of my homework sheets for science!"

Nobody added the fact that Jay had had to read the sheet to Wally, first in speed-talk, and then very slowly, before Wally's mind had been able to slow down and process the information. All of his answers had to be written down by Jay while Wally computed the work. The boy was still unable to properly read any of his assignments. And nobody wanted to explain to Mary that her son was now able to run faster than the average car.

Prior to the meeting with his parents, the adults and Hal had come to a conclusion to inform the Wests of Wally's new powers after Wally had them in control a bit more. While Barry and Iris had been insistent that they should know right away, Hal had vehemently argued that the last thing that Wally needed was to struggle to be normal in his home environment. Hal had taken to hating the Wests ever since the emotional outburst by Wally after being dismissed from the hospital. As far as Hal was concerned, the Wests shouldn't even be a part of Wally's life. While both Barry and Iris were inclined to agree with him, they still insisted that the Wests were family. However, both Jay and Hal had agreed that the shock of being a speedster would be a bit too much for Wally's very ordinary parents, and that the grocery bills alone, once they started to come in, would probably cause the Wests to worry about things that Wally wasn't able to control.  _Besides,_ said Hal,  _Why add another thing for Rudy to use as ammunition in breaking the kid's spirit?_  Thus the argument was won, and they decided to keep this a secret from the Wests until such time that Wally was in control of himself.

_"_ _Do you think we're doing the right thing not telling Mary and Rudy about this?" asked Iris to Barry. Two hours after Jay and Hal had headed home, they had retired to their own room to discuss the situation privately. At the end of the day, it was their decision after all._

_"Honestly, I don't know," said Barry with a heavy sigh, "I'm hardly the biggest West fan at the moment, but he is their son. If it were us, I'd want to know that sort of thing immediately."_

_Both of them_ _felt awkward at that_ _. After Barry had first told Iris about his powers, and they were discussing their future together, both had agreed children weren't an option._ _Barry always felt guilty about taking away that option for Iris, but with the way his powers were, and the uncertainty of it all, the two had agreed to follow the example of the Garricks and just not have children. Neither, of course, had gone to the lengths Jay and Joan had in getting a vasectomy, but they had made the decision together and were rigid about being safe._

_"It's odd, but I sort of understand Joan now," said Iris with a little smile, "And how easily she accepted you into her life. A speedster, around the age of a son would be- well, it's nice. Makes me feel maternal."_

_"Oh please, you've always been like a mother to the kid," said Barry with a grin, "But I know what you mean. The speed, it's like he's really ours."_

_They both went silent after that. It was one thing to enjoy the pretense of being Wally's parents when they took him to the movies or the zoo, it was another thing entirely to admit it out loud. Perhaps the situation would have been different if Mary and Rudy were loving and kind parents to their son, perhaps if the West and Allen family got along, but it wasn't the case. As soon as those words left Barry's mouth, he paled dramatically, and Iris went still. Neither said anything for a very long time. They simply turned off the lights, and went to sleep._

It was in this moment that Iris felt the gnawing sensation of guilt clawing back into her heart from that night. Mary reached out to lovingly stroke Wally's hair, while Rudy gave a sort of grunt and sat down beside his son. It was so _wrong_ of her to feel jealous. It wasn't entirely fair of her to be angry with her brother and sister-in-law for not being good parents, because it wasn't borne entirely out of anger at their treatment of Wally at all. Rather, the anger was borne from the thought that she could do  _better._ That they didn't deserve to be parents. That she _did._  And if that didn't make her dishonorable for wanting to take their son away, she didn't know what did.

"It sounds lovely dear," said Mary flatly, not sharing the enthusiasm Wally seemed to have, "I just don't understand why Wally can't commute from home. Why does he have to go  _your_  house and be away from  _his parents_  all summer?"

Iris felt her hand clench involuntarily into a fist, as she met Mary's cold green eyes. It was unfair that both women were linked by that characteristic, as was Wally. Iris ignored that little thought to keep her eyes on Mary. Barry and Jay were discussing the commuting issue, and Jay's old age, but all Iris could do was stare Mary down. Her blood went cold as she kept thinking over the words Mary had used. Mary  _knew_ of her sinful thoughts. And apparently, all her years of marriage with Rudy had taught her how to slyly toss subtle barbs at Iris's face. Barbs that cut in places Iris couldn't protect herself.

"He's with his Aunt and Uncle, Mary," said Iris quietly, "You don't think we care for him any _less_  than you, do you?"

The room went still, as both Barry and Jay quieted. Iris had cut Jay off mid-sentence. Something she never did, out of respect for the old man. Rudy's eyes shifted from Barry and Jay to the confrontation boiling between his sister and wife. Wally remained oblivious as his mother clenched his hands even tighter.

"Wally, why don't you and I head upstairs and take a peak at your homework assignments?" said Jay quickly, bouncing up with virility that should have been impossible for a man his age, "We can sort them out."

"Go with Mr. Garrick, Wally," said Rudy immediately, as Barry placed a comforting hand on his wife's fist.

"Ah, alright," said the boy, stumbling to his feet and letting Jay lead him out with a last curious glance towards his mother and aunt.

Mary had remained quiet throughout the entire exchange. Her eyes only left Iris's to follow Wally out the door. Once he was gone, she turned back to Iris, and her lips were thin. There seemed to be some sort of steeliness in Mary's eyes that Iris had never seen before. Mary was always the meek and quiet sister-in-law that walked beside Rudy, like a good little wife. Iris wasn't a mean woman, but she'd always thought less of Mary for it. She'd never understood how Mary could be alright with being so submissive with her husband. Not in this day and age. Not when Iris was ambitious herself. It was just hard to relate to Mary. However, she'd never held it against Mary. She enjoyed being Mary's friend. Once upon a time. Iris doubted she and Mary could consider themselves friends for a long time now.

"Well, do you?" asked Iris impatiently, her own uneasiness about that fierce look in Mary's eyes transferring into her argument. A good reporter was supposed to be patient, a listener. But Iris wasn't a reporter right now.

"I don't doubt that you care for Wally," said Mary coldly, as though she very much disagreed with her own words, "However, he's my son Iris. And nobody can love and care for a son quite like his own  _mother._ "

Iris felt her breath leave her as Barry suddenly went rigid beside her. Neither had expected Mary of all people to deliver such a blow. Rudy seemed a bit taken aback himself, but unlike the horror in his eyes, a sort of pride filled his own. Iris didn't know what to say to that. She had never expected Mary to throw that in her face. There had been a time where Mary used to lovingly say Iris was Wally's city mother, the one they visited when they went to the city. Apparently somewhere along the lines, that idea had collapsed.

"Iris loves Wally as if he were her own Mary," said Barry quietly, tightening his hold on Iris's hand, "She'd never do anything to harm him. We just want what's best for him, and Jay is the best person to help Wally."

Iris loved Barry, she did. But this was hardly a confrontation about what was best for Wally. This was something else. This was an argument that apparently Iris had missed over the years. This was a statement that she'd let fester in Mary's psyche and was now attacking her. And this was hardly going to go away by a few kind words or an apology.

But Iris once again found herself surprised by Barry's own ability to diffuse a situation. Whatever steel that had entered Mary's eyes suddenly disappeared, and she looked worn and tired. Aged almost. Rudy sighed as well, releasing a heavy breath and their eyes turned to Barry.

"This will help the boy?" said Rudy sternly, "You're sure it will make him get better? Become normal again?"

"Jay is the best of the best," said Barry calmly, "I'd trust him with my life."

"Then we'll go through with it," said Rudy, as Mary stood up and left to the kitchen. Normally Iris would follow her, but right now, she just sat in her seat. Her head was spinning. If Iris were the type of woman to smoke, she'd probably need a cigarette right about now. As it were, Iris's one vice was coffee. And boy did she need a hot mug of it right now. Maybe two.

"Great," said Barry with a relieved sigh. "I'll go-

"I'll get Wally," said Rudy immediately, cutting off Barry, "He is  _my_  son."

Barry stiffened like Iris had, but let it go as Rudy stood up. As he left the room, Barry took in a gulp of air, and then turned to Iris. She was pale and her eyes looked lost. Barry reached out and stroked the back of her spine with one finger, and she leaned into his shoulder. This was by no means an ideal situation, but it was what it was.

* * *

After dropping Jay back to his home, the Allens and Wally returned to the small apartment they called home. Iris sent Wally straight to bed after dinner. Jay was going to start working with Wally tomorrow morning. They only had three weeks of this summer to try and deal with the outbreak of the speed latching onto Wally, and try and control it. Combined with the anniversary of the Justice League's first year, the household was going to be busy.

"Barry," said Iris once they were in the sanctity of their bedroom, "Do you think we should have told them?"

"I don't know," said Barry with a troubled expression, "Hal and Jay are right when they said that we need to focus on Wally, but, after today, I'm starting to wonder if we're doing the right thing by excluding the Wests. He is their son."

Iris scowled as she replied miserably, "Oh, they made that  _very_  clear today. They're going to hate us even more when they realize Wally's speed and its connection to us."

"Who said that they hate us?" asked Barry quickly, trying to appease his wife, "They're just upset with the situation."

"Barry, don't try and defend them," said Iris sternly, as she climbed into their bed together and let down her red hair from it's usual pony-tail, "Mary's jealous of us, and her jealousy is making her hate us. She doesn't know to handle the fact that Wally prefers being with us than them. And can we blame him for it? It's not like those two provide the happiest home environment for him. If today was anything to go by, Mary's been hating me for a long time."

Iris swallowed heavily at that, and Barry sighed, and took her into his arms. Neither of them knew what to say, but they were worried.

"We'll deal with it," said Barry with firm conviction in his voice, "Right now we need to focus on Wally and helping him acclimate to the speed. No distractions. We'll deal with the Wests later on. And their issues with us. And what does it matter if they can't stand us as long as they treat Wally alright? That's what this all boils down to, isn't it? Wally. As long as he doesn't get caught in the crossfire, then we can deal with it."


	2. Speedster Basics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally begins his training with Jay Garrick and learns a lot about what it means to be a speedster. Jay reflects on the joy of having a protege.

Wally wasn't too sure why his Aunt and Uncle had decided not to tell his parents about the speed. But, he'd never bothered to ask either. It had been positively relieving to know that he still had time to prepare for that confrontation. Time to adjust and get back to normal. Just with an added touch of something special. The idea made him grin and blush and make a mental promise he'd never ever tell anyone that unless he wanted to go back to having to avoid the bigger guys at school and the bathrooms. Anyone heard him talking like that, they'd shove his head so far down in the toilet, they'd manage to get his head actually stuck down the toilet forever, even if it wasn't physically possible with the structure of his head and the size of the toilet. The fact that he knew that was all thanks to Uncle Barry and his anti-bully sessions to help Wally get over the fear of school. But the speed would probably be a huge bonus in dealing with school. As for his parents, well, he wasn't too sure how they'd react when they did find out about the special in him. His dad hated anything that wasn't normal, and let's face it, Wally defied normal by being a genius. Then again, so many things defied normal in his dad's dictionary that Wally wasn't too sure what exactly was normal. His mom on the other hand, well, she was always supportive. Even if they didn't talk to each other much no more.

"Wally?" called Iris from the hall, "Jay is here!"

Wally grinned and pushed off the bed, brushing aside the melancholic thoughts of his family and school, and rushed to meet Jay. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but he had his running shorts already laid out on his bed in case Jay decided to go for a sprint. Maybe to some place awesome, like Mexico. He totally wanted to try tacos. The whole enhanced metabolism thing meant he could probably eat three tacos in one go! He never made it past the second before, and Hal would tease him when they'd have a competition down in Coast.

"Wally!" said Jay, grinning as he ruffled the red-head's hair, "How've you been?"

"Great," said Wally chirpily, before shyly glancing to the ground. It was still hard to be bouncy and normal around Jay, when the older man was practically like the  _god_  of speedsters. He'd started it all! It was unnerving. And this was the man who was training  _him_! Who'd have thought Wally West would be trained by the first ever Flash?

"Jay! I thought I heard you," said Barry with a warm smile, as he came into the hall, keys in hand and coat already on, "What are you and Wally planning for today?"

Wally was silent, but hoped Jay would say they were running. He really wanted to test out if he could go any faster than last time! Jay said he would eventually get faster, but after the one run on the treadmill three days back, he hadn't had any chance to test it out. Just getting back down from the speed he'd been at had been impossible without training, but still incredibly cool.

"Homework," said Jay, and Wally's eyes grew wide in horror. Jay caught site of his expression, and gave a short bark of laughter, as Barry tossed Wally a sympathetic smile.

"That sounds perfect," said Iris firmly, "Wally needs to get caught up! And no more dangerous speed stunts until you're trained! Listen to Jay, alright?"

"Yes Aunt Iris," muttered Wally, a small pout growing on his face as his lower lip jutted out in disappointment.

"Don't look so down kiddo," said Jay, still grinning, "We're going to use the homework to exercise that mental speed of yours. And it won't be all math and english, we'll run through a few concentration exercises as well. Joan said she'd drive up here in the afternoon to make lunch and help out, if that's alright with you Iris?"

"She's welcome here anytime," said Iris firmly, "She doesn't even need to ask!"

"Oh good, that's what I told her," said Jay with a sheepish grin.

Wally was still frowning in disappointment, so Barry bent down until they were at eye-level while Iris took the hint and lead Jay into the kitchen to show him where everything was, despite the fact that Jay already knew the layout of the flat like he knew his Flash costume.

Barry frowned at the awkwardness of his position. No longer was he able to just go on his knees, and he had long outgrown a squat. Now his bend still seemed condescending as he lowered his knees like springs, and managed to just look Wally in the eye with his spine folding unpleasantly and causing a crick in his shoulders. He refused to acknowledge that as a sign of his age. It was merely an unavoidable association of being a hero and the job getting to his bones. That's all. Besides, the more important question at hand was when had Wally grown  _so_  much?

"Hey kid," he said softly, "It's not- I mean- Jay would love to take you for a run, don't mistake that. I asked him not to."

"But why?" asked Wally, so softly that Barry barely heard him, but the guilt he felt coursed through his veins and burnt every inch of his skin. Maybe he was being selfish.

"I- I wanted to be there, y'know? I already missed your first real run with speed," said Barry, suddenly able to sympathize with the older colleagues at work he knew who had been so air-headed after their first child was born. He was going to miss so much of Wally's growth because of his _own_  responsibilities. A part of him cursed Bruce's decision to make the League public after the Mountain base had been attacked last year. Ever since he'd had to run around with all the red-tape and mission reports and it was like a another damn job on his mountain of work. Barry Allen, cop and investigator, works four to five days a week, unless he has a case and then it's eight days a week. Flash, superhero, works every night for two hours, unless there's a raid or some supervillain plot in which case he's employed indefinitely. Flash, Justice Leaguer, works every spare minute that Barry Allen and the super-hero aren't trying to tackle all the bureaucratic tape the United Nations liked to toss at the League and the occasional national or multi-national crisis.

"Oh," said Wally, brightening considerably and beaming at his uncle, with his freckles darting out and green eyes sparkling. Unfair kid. That only made him feel even guiltier. Wally should have been upset. If the kid wasn't so understanding, than he'd have let him run. He didn't deserve such a good child like this.

"You- You're sure you're okay with that?" asked Barry nervously, knowing how long that would seem in speedster time, "It's really just until the weekend, then Jay and I will take you out and we'll really run. Anywhere you want, I promise. Can you wait that long?"

"I can wait! I want to run with you!" said Wally with a fierce glint in his eye, and then he flushed, "I mean- if you  _want_  to run with me."

"I'm looking forward to it," said Barry, wrapping Wally in a hug, which after a hesitant second, was returned by thin arms. Kid needed to eat more. The hospital food had turned him into a skeleton, even if Jay insisted that his metabolism had played a part in the dramatic weight loss. He had lost almost thirty pounds since the accident!

"Barry! It's almost eight thirty! You need to be at work by eight forty-five!" yelled Iris, and Barry jolted and grinned at Wally with a conspiratorial wink, "Looks like I'm going to be late again."

"Still don't get that," said Wally with a bemused expression, "Bye Uncle B!"

"See you tonight Kid," said Barry as he raced to the door with his speed, "Listen to Jay and have fun!"

Wally waved until his Uncle left, while Iris came rushing into the hall. She had a coffee mug in one hand and a bagel in the other, her large purse slung around her shoulder. A quick cheek and a 'Love you' was pressed to Wally's head above his ear, and a note shoved into his hand as she rushed out. Wally waved at both of them from the window, even though he was a bit too old to do that now at turned to read the note Iris had left him while Jay gave him the space to gather his thoughts and prepare for their first speedster session.

_Be good for Jay, and most of all, be good enough for yourself Wally. I'm proud of you! Love you._

The words 'proud' and 'enough' were both underlined, and Wally's lower lip jutted out in a manner not at all like his earlier pout. He shoved the note into his jeans, and wiped his eyes quickly. He wasn't some girl. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned.

"Ready to go Kid?" asked Jay, beaming down at Wally, who gave a grin back.

* * *

Jay had never really had a true protege. He'd never even anticipated having one. Then Barry had started running around in the red suit, and Jay had been taken for a toss. He'd welcomed Barry with all the love he wanted to give to a son that he and Joan had never been able to have. The man was family. And as he grew older, Jay wanted family. It was lonely around with just him and Joan. He loved his wife until death and beyond, but no marriage was built by attaching yourself to the hip. Besides, they had been together for sixty-five years, they knew each other like the back of their hands. Heck, they knew each others back of hands!

Barry added something special to their life. He was sweet, mild-mannered and helpful. He came around and did the speed thing with Jay, kept the old man off the streets and at the same time, filled a void that Jay hadn't even known was there. But he wasn't Jay's protege. Barry was faster, more skilled, and had an edge Jay couldn't teach to him. Besides, by the time Barry and he were close, Barry was self-taught already. Sure Barry had questions only Jay could answer, but Barry was a grown man. He didn't need Jay to lecture him. He took his advice, but he always asked first. And Jay never imposed it on the man. That was a line Jay wouldn't cross. If the man didn't want answers, Jay wouldn't give them. Nobody liked a back-seat driver. And his glory days had faded. He'd made his decisions and he'd ended up with a damn comfy bed.

Joan adored Barry. She doted on him like he was son by blood, though, in some ways, speed was as good, if not better, than blood. She thrived to cook a meal fit for kings and the entire court when Barry came by. He sat with her and talked and talked and talked, about cooking, the garden, the books she read, his work, anything. He gave Joan the respect that she deserved and more. He gave Joan something to look forward to, and more importantly, he gave Joan a sense of need. Being married to the woman, Jay knew how Joan felt about being needed. She always had to be helping someone, doing something, making sure everyone was okay. And for whatever reason, Barry gave her that in a way that wasn't taking advantage of her. Heck, half the time he used some infernal trick Jay still hadn't learnt to get the woman to calm down and drink a cup of tea on the porch and just relax.

And within a year of knowing Barry as the Flash and even less time of knowing Barry for Barry, he brought Iris home, as Barry Allen and Iris the girlfriend. He wanted her to meet his family. He'd told her she was the Flash.

Iris was tenacious. She was what Joan would have wanted in a daughter. Someone with a sharp tongue and loving demeanor. Someone who sympathized, who knew the ins and outs of being a superhero wife. She had someone to advise, to sympathize for, and to talk hours about the things Barry couldn't, like the clothes they bought and the recipes she tried or what to do when you're superhero lover has disappeared without a trace and you're not sure if he's coming home. That sort of thing.

Not that only Joan liked Iris. She made Jay happy too. She was the sweet woman who was interested in his hero stories. She asked questions that were far more intelligent than the regular audience could come up with. She fussed over him from the start, like a daughter would, making sure he wasn't getting in to trouble, wasn't overstretching himself, and just taking an interest in who Jay Garrick was. And it was nice to be treated as Jay and not the Flash.

Most of all, Iris made Barry happy.

And then the two were married, and Jay met Wally. Wally was a cute kid, running after Hal at the wedding reception. Jay and Joan knew Hal as Barry's friend, but Hal wasn't like Alan's Green Lantern. He was a new breed. Jay liked Hal well enough, he was a decent fellow and while some of Hal's behavior made the soldier and old-man in him cringe, Hal meant well and he was true to his word. Besides, he was around almost every holiday with the Allens. Like a nephew or something.

So to see the red-headed burr attached to his side at the wedding drew Jay's eye. Most of the time, at these kind of events, it was the skimpy barmaids attached to Hal's arms laughing and crooning at sweet nothings that were probably more innuendo than any sort of poetry Jay was familiar with. The little boy from the wedding was cute, and though he didn't talk much, he liked the kid. Within a few weeks, Iris and Barry were talking all about Wally, their nephew. The kid they doted on. And Jay felt a small pinch of envy. Joan was an only child, as was he. They had no nieces or nephews to spoil. But they had their pseudo-son and daughter, and it was okay.

But then the two had told him they were going to avoid having children. At least for a while. Which both he and Joan knew meant forever. That's how it started for them. The risks though, a kid with speed, it wasn't worth it. Still, Jay wasn't going to lie, his heart had broken for them. And a little bit, it broke for him. He'd never get the grandchild, the heir to his legacy. It was just Barry and him, alone to the world like he had once been with Joan. And someday he'd pass on, and it would just be Barry and Iris. And they'd be alone. And he didn't even wish that on Rag Doll or Fiddler.

Then he met Wally for real. No catch-the-kid-at-the-wedding for a quick hello. It was pure, this-kid-is-the-closest-to-a-grandchild he'd get, and that was good. A part of him, after hearing Wally's attempt, had cringed for all the wrong reasons. He'd wanted Wally to succeed so badly, for the Flash legacy, for Barry and Iris, and for him and Joan.

At dinner, he was sure he'd been imagining it all. Barry didn't even notice the kid moving a little faster, the subtle way his food was being inhaled, the fidgeting, like the kid couldn't be still, or that he was just moving too fast. If Jay hadn't spent the last twenty-five years trying to slow down for the sake of his health and wife, he'd never have noticed either. But he had.

Quickly it became an obsession. He would dream of running, Barry beside him, and a third little blur of red between them. It was never in costume, just in their civilian identities. No Flashes. Just Jay, Barry and Wally, a line of speedsters. And it mattered, so _so_  much. Joan sympathized, but she warned him to be careful. Because she knew if it was a dream he'd be miserable. But it was  _true._

So as Jay sat Wally down, he couldn't feel any happier. This was really a kid who would be family to them. To him. The grandson he'd dared to dream about but never hoped to have. And he knew Joan felt the same way. If the army of baked goods was anything to say by it. He hoped she didn't break the knitting out. It had taken him forever to get her to stop making table mats and cushions and blankets galore after Iris had first been mentioned by Barry.

"So what are we going first, er, Jay?" asked Wally, as he placed the bundle of homework between them.

Jay wasn't the smartest man on the block. He was an average science enthusiast who specialized in self-taught super speed with no degree, but a lab-coat he'd bought from the internet as a joke once he'd learnt how to use it properly. He'd been a footballer who'd enrolled in the army when the time came and then gotten into a freak accident that helped make him a super-soldier and fight Nazis. High-school had only become more and more progressive since his day, and he hadn't reviewed any of this stuff since it's invention, discovery or whatnot. So he did the smartest thing he could, and shoved it aside.

"Well, I assume you understand all of this, you just can't read or write it down," said Jay with a grin.

"Yeah," said Wally, grimacing. Jay knew the feeling. Learning to read all over again had been the hardest thing he'd had to do, but unlike Wally, he'd had very little to read beyond signs and letters from Joan until he'd really gotten acclimated with the speed. And he'd gotten the hang of it in a few weeks once the speed really settled. Barry had more control of his speed as soon as he got it, and he'd been able to pick reading back up in a few days.

"Well, I can't promise you'll ever get back to the reading proficiency you were at before everything happened kid," said Jay with a sigh, feeling guilty to have to drop bomb after bomb, "I have no idea how different your speed is from mine, or from Barry's. All I know is that you're just getting faster and faster and faster. I have no clue when you'll stop speeding up, or even if it  _will_  happen. You may slow down next week, or tomorrow, or in an hour. Or you may reach my age and still be speeding up, still be getting faster until you've surpassed speeds we can even dream about."

"Whoa," said Wally, his eyes wide at the idea, "Like- Faster than _light_?"

"Maybe," said Jay with a small smile, "But getting faster is the easy part. It's slowing down that's the hard part."

"What do you mean?" asked Wally, taken aback as he leaned back in his chair across from Jay.

"Well," said Jay, leaning back with a pleased smile, "When we speed up, it's like breathing. Especially in the beginning. It's that easy. But Jesus, slowing down, well it makes you feel like you're drowning. No, not drowning per say. But traumatizing nonetheless. But if you don't slow down, then you'll always be alone. With me, and with Barry, you can be faster than normal. Like right now, you've slowly started talking at a faster pace with me. Did you realize?"

"No," said Wally, amazed, "How- How fast are we talking?"

"I don't have a timer on me," said Jay with a chuckle, "But assume at least three times faster than the normal human being. That's good though, it shows you're picking up my speed and able to respond. So you're brain is at least working on quicker speed, or you're mentally channeling the speed. It's almost like you were born with it."

"So, we're going to speed through the homework?" asked Wally hopefully.

"Not at all," said Jay grimly, "Speeding through things, it's hard to really retain information. And if you really want to comprehend something, you have to slow down and really understand it. It's a strange idea, but speed-reading doesn't mean you comprehend anything."

"Okay," said Wally, a bit confused. But he didn't want to ask any questions and feel stupid.

"Speed-reading is like skimming," clarified Jay, "It's impossible to read at such a fast level when everything just blurs together, so what you do pick up is out of context or missing pieces. It's like when we run and the world blurs around us."

"Oh," said Wally, nodding, and tapping his thumbs against the table. His knee was swinging. He frowned, and stopped, remembering his dad's annoyance with it.

"It's fine to fidget," said Jay quickly, "In fact, it's better. Get's some energy out of the system and helps with slowing down. But be careful. If you're ever in a position where you need to reserve energy or have no access to food, always-  _always_ \- stop fidgeting first. It'll save your life more times than you can count."

"Got it," said Wally, a shine of brilliant understanding in his eyes that made Jay proud.

"And now, we begin the real training," said Jay with a smirk, "We're going to slow down. Completely."

"Okay," said Wally, a bit confused. He could do that.

"Don't look at me like that," said Jay with a chuckle, "By completely I mean that smart little head of yours too. As you slow down, I want you to process your thoughts at the same speed I'm going to talk to you at. And trust me, you haven't quite reached this speed before. Last time with Barry was easier because Iris was around and you had someone to compare speeds with as well as someone to match speeds with. It still took you a good half-hour to get back to normal, remember? This time it's just you and me and you've gotten comfortable with the speed enough that slowing down won't be easy. Now, I'll slow down first, you try and slow down to my level, okay?"

However, Jay suddenly adopted a stern expression. Rather than starting the exercise, he continued with his lecture as he explained, "But before we begin, you need to get the importance of slowing down fully, and why speedsters need to know this trick like breathing. Besides needing it for a normal life, slowing down is important in the field too. When you're in a life or death situation," said Jay, choosing his words carefully, "Going fast, that's helpful, great advantage. Going slow, that can throw anyone off balance. Sometimes, and I stress this to you because it's important, you need to be able to slow down and just think, or read, or be present and real to make a difference. Like, take for example, after a fire. People are sometimes still reeling. They've lost there home, family, whatever mementos that made a difference. And they probably don't even remember the rescue effort because one second they were there and surrounded by fire, and then they were watching the building burn. Those times, it's our jobs to be present, to be real, to help them sort of realize that the traumatic experiences are real, but the rescue was real too. Because it sure as hell matters. PTSD isn't a joke, and with powers like ours, we can often cause people PTSD just by rescuing them and vanishing. It matters what we do, but it matters more that people can see us do it. The more superhuman and mysterious we are, the less real we become to them. It was an old Justice Society issue, we were constantly trying to make sure people didn't think we were the next Hitler, out to take over the world. And it helped when we put the powers aside and were just normal people playing dress-up. It makes trauma a helluva lot easier."

Wally nodded, face set in determination. He was committing each word to memory. This was what it meant to be partner to the Flash. These were lessons that would make him the best partner the Flash would ever have. These were lessons that would make him be enough for people. Jay grinned at Wally's serious face, and reached out and ruffled his hair, causing Wally to flush a light pink. The embarrassed expression was more natural on his face than that serious one. Besides, it meant that the kid was really paying attention to him. And it helped him convey that he knew the kid could handle it. He really did believe in this kid. Nobody deserved the gift of speed quite as much. For Wally, however, it was strangely soothing to know Jay placed so much faith in him, that he thought he could do it. It was the reason he let the blush climb onto his cheeks. It was weirdly embarrassing to have someone put their trust in him.

After the moment had gone on long enough, which wasn't all that long for a speedster mind you, Jay opened his mouth, and began talking. Wally gazed at him in horror as Jay continued to speak confidently and with a relaxed posture. He was so _slow_. He couldn't even pluck out what Jay was saying, let alone attempt to match that speed! Jay noticed Wally's expression, and frowned, before starting again. This time he spoke a bit faster, and Wally could faintly understand, but it was like garbled sounds. A foreign language. Alien.

"Eeeez Eeeees Aaaaayy?" asked the man, and Wally nodded, only able to guess the meaning of those words and not even sure if he had totally grasped it.

"Goooogg slooor," said Jay, and they were back to square one. Wally couldn't even pluck out a basic understanding. He bit his lower lip. This was hard!

Jay paused, and very slowly drew a hand up. Wally wasn't sure if it was in his head, or if Jay was really slowing down for him even more. That hand movement took forever, and it felt like hours passed before Jay finally did something with the rising hand. He made the universal sign of one, and then pointed to his lips. Another hour passed in that time and Wally was horrified. One word. Okay, he just had to pluck out the word.

"Uahhh-aaaaaaaaaa-aaal-eeeee" said the man. And Wally was lost. His face must have shown the disappointment, because Jay reached out to his tapping figures, and rubbed slow circles on the back of his hand.

He did it again. He sounded like a whale on T.V. Wally wondered if he'd ever get to see a whale. Maybe they could run to the Arctic and see killer whales. Jay was looking at him in concern, and Wally gaped. Oops. He'd forgotten to concentrate. Flushed, he waved his hand to Jay, who started over with the word.

Wally really listened this time. He could just make out the sound of 'Oooh-ahh' at the beginning of the word. He raced through the words that began with O and A and blurted out in frustration, "Oa?"

Jay shook his head, bemused, and repeated the word. Wally listened closely, trying to slow his brain down. It was hard! So he repeated the word as it sounded to him. Jay shook his head to say no, and Wally frowned. That wouldn't help? The man was still rubbing slow circles on the back of his hand, as he repeated the word. Wally frowned, and let the words sink over him, as Jay just kept repeating it. He felt stuck, and it was starting to make him nervous.

"Why can't you just tell me?" Wally burst out, frustrated beyond belief. Jay surprised him by laughing rather than scowling.

"It's not that easy kid," said Jay, amused. "You tend to forget the lessons you learned from a book when you're fighting for survival, or from your General or Captain or the Lieutenant that had been in the war since it began and for whatever reason never got the promotion he kept talking about. After that situation,  _if_  you get out in tact, you'll never forget the lessons, even when you're my age. More than that, things you discover on your own, things that you learn from your experiences in general, those are the lessons that stick with you in the toughest times. Half of what Barry does, what I did, it was all self-taught. We never got to have the controlled environment to make those discoveries and the mentor to guide us through it. I don't want to put you at a disadvantage of having us there and then being too reliant on what we taught you that when you don't have us around, you lose your head. Some stuff, like when you run, that's more direct teaching, but this stuff, the mental stuff, a lot of it is self discovery. Besides, what works for me may not work for you. For Barry, he can switch through speeds without a thought about it when conversing. Reading was a bit trickier, but he learnt it like a fish in water. Me, it took me forever to slow down. Probably standard time it was almost a full week before I was 'found' again. My team thought I had died, disappeared or deserted. I had to figure out what worked for me as much as you have to figure out what works for you. Now, want to try again?"

Wally nodded miserably, as Jay started again. But his thoughts had trailed down a scary road and his focus was no longer on Jay. All he could think about was failing. Of never figuring out his trick to slowing down. If he didn't master this, he'd never be able to be a Flash! He'd never be able to talk to anyone else again. Oh man! Aunt Iris! He'd never be able to thank her for the note! And he'd be all alone, in this sped up eternity for life. Wally was panicking, he didn't even realize he'd started hyperventilating as his mind went forward. The worst thoughts kept pouring into his mind. He'd go too fast, he'd never slow down and he'd grow old and _die_  before the day even ended.

"Kid! Breathe!" yelled Jay, his tone firm and commanding, the voice of a soldier who'd calmed those in a battlefield, and it was oddly reassuring to equate that voice with war. Jay was solid, real, and a soldier. He'd survived a World War, he'd fought Nazis. He was here, beside Wally, and he was solid and Wally wasn't going all that fast.

Small circles were being rubbed on his back, as he lowered his head between his knees, taking deep breaths. Jay was still rubbing the circles into his hand, and Wally was calming down. He felt his heart rate coming down from the sped up pace he'd gotten to when he'd began hyperventilating.

"What happened Kid?" asked Jay, stern as he squatted down in front of Wally, taking his hand into his.

"I- I couldn't breathe," replied Wally uneasily, "Jay- I- What if I  _can't_  slow down?"

Jay sighed, and ran a hand through his grey hair. He knew what the kid was thinking. All speedsters had that fear in the beginning, when the power was still settling in. He and Barry had commiserated over those worries and the occasional nightmare. However, Wally's case was a slight bit different. Wally was probably going to carry that fear for the next few years instead of months or weeks. When his speed boosted suddenly. When he grew. It was going to be a lingering thought.  _What if I never come back?_ He didn't envy the kid in the slightest.

"That's why you  _have_  to learn it kid," explained Jay softly, "It's hard, I know. And it's scary, the idea of going too fast. Barry and I, we both fear the day when we push too hard and go too fast and our tricks for slowing down stop working. When it reaches a point that we're no longer able to come down. But if we don't learn to control it, then we're always going to be scared of it. And you want to be a speedster, don't you?"

"Of course!" said Wally, the thought causing his green eyes to harden with confidence, and Jay grinned.

"Alright, let's try again," said Jay with a smile, "Just focus on my voice."

"But how do I get my brain to slow down?" asked Wally, frowning.

"By slowing everything down," said Jay sternly, "Slow it all down to the pace of my voice."

Wally sighed, and nodded. It wasn't Jay's fault that Wally didn't get it. Wally was just stupid. His dad was right, he was never going to amount to anything now. The speed had zapped him into a freeloading brat with no potential. He shook his head like a dog, and let those thoughts fade as Jay spoke.

"Ffeeeeehhhh-oooooooohh-cuuuuuuhhhhhhhh-aaa-aaaa-a aaa-huuuuuuuhhhh-eeeeeeeessssss," said Jay, his voice slower and Wally frowned. But Jay was sitting beside him now, hand now making circles on the bad of his hand with one finger, before moving down and cradling his thin wrist where he rubbed circles. That was oddly soothing. It was better than the words. Wally found himself shutting his eyes, and concentrating on the circles running along his vein.

Right. _Rub_. Right.  _Right. Rub._  Rub. Right. Rub.

"Fooo-k-aas," said Jay, and Wally's eyes widened. How had- He- had-

"Fo-cc-uhs," said Jay, still a fraction slower, but Wally blurted out, "Focus!"

"See, you got it kid?" said Jay, grinning.

"How?" asked Wally, amazed.

"You slowed down," said Jay with a grin.

"But-

Then it suddenly struck Wally. He hadn't been paying attention to the words. Jay had been helping Wally slow down all along. Wally hadn't even realized his heart rate had sped up to match the demand of the blood flow to his brain. It felt like a really stupid mistake. The trick to slowing down wasn't in his head, it was all in the heart. Literally. He just had to slow the speed of his heart down to slow everything else down. His senses weren't hyperactive anymore.

"I slowed my heart rate," said Wally finally, curious as he looked to Jay. The old man was grinning.

"Easiest trick in the book. I didn't think it would work for you, but looks like you're more like me than I thought," admitted Jay, "When you're a meta with traits like ours, our hearts are the control center to our speed. 'Course, there's other stuff too, but the heart is what adapts the best to the speed, to keep the blood flow going and in time with everything else. I'm sorry I didn't come out and tell you, but this is one of those things that's best discovered on your own."

To Jay's surprise, and maybe it was because Joan was right and he spent too much time watching T.V, but the kid didn't throw a tantrum or a hissy fit. He didn't even look disappointed that Jay had withheld the information. Instead, his eyes grew wide and he grin stretched so far across his face that Jay's cheeks started to hurt for the kid, and said in an enthusiastic tone, "What's next?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter developed into an entire Jay & Wally session of fun stuff! The next chapter has Hal again, as well as the entire friggin Justice League (Batman is my favorite character to write, but that's because my attempts to write him seriously all go back to the giggly girl I am and he ends up becoming the paranoid weirdo that everybody sort of works around) and more Iris. This story is sort of divided like that. It's Barry & Hal stuff in some chapters, Jay & Wally & later Joan in other chapters, and Iris bits squeezed in the middle. Somewhere along those lines, I have Roy tossed in (Robin doesn't even appear until the end, so I'm sorry to everyone whose waiting for that story- but seriously, this is Batman and Wally hasn't even gotten through civilian-security-clearance-to-meet-his-ward checks yet) and towards the end Robin and Aqualad. But really tiny glimpses of the last two. Also, in all this kerfuffle of chapters, I have the wonderful Mary and Rudy chapter which is literally like a montage of their lives and Wally's childhood, as well as the whole what-is-wrong-with-Mary situation.
> 
> I ended up reading a ton of Mary West moments from the comics, which totally changed the way I planned to portray her earlier so the Mary you thought I was creating, well, she's got depths to her that I didn't even think I would end up developing.
> 
> And the sad thing is. This next story isn't even the main plot. It's like, a sub-plot that develops all the elements for the main plot. And it's probably the size of a story all on its own. Like ten chapters easy. Probably twelve. I'm guessing.
> 
> And worse, most is written in my head. This rant is getting long, so my main point is that Thanksgiving weekend is next week, and because I'm sick and feeling generous and whatnot, this is my challenge to you readers who are interested!
> 
> Challenge that really doesn't involve any hard work beyond imagination:
> 
> If you enjoy this story, or my Bat-Clan Wally story, and there's something you really want to see happen, I don't care, like a fluffy Barry takes Wally to the movies for the first time or Iris and Barry's first date (I want to write these both but they'll probably work their way into the main story or I'll write them in my head and that's that. Just, be original and don't ask for it) then place a request!
> 
> Request by reviewing or PMing. If I have time (and judging from the way this week is shaping up, I probably will~!) than I will write them.
> 
> The best two ideas for sure will get written. Maybe top three. For each story. Or maybe just best two per story, or two for one and three for the other, no idea, I don't really think this stuff through.
> 
> Anyways, until next Wednesday I'm accepting requests, so take your time. You can place as many requests as you want, but to ensure fairness, only one request per person will be written. Each story will be listed as an in-universe One-Shot that is pure fluff (or angst, I go both ways), and they'll be like little Omakes like in manga an they'll be posted into this story itself. As for rating, I'm open to writing any rating (But be warned, I have little experience with writing good smut and I'd rather not write too much smut or boring smut or smut that makes no sense to the plot).
> 
> Finally, these challenges, if people enjoy them and I don't lose my mind, will make themselves apparent around holidays (So a Christmas one in the future maybe?).
> 
> LAST LITTLE THING!
> 
> This story is totally pre-slash/slash that I haven't worked out the details to. Because honestly, I love Wally/Dick, but I get tired of Dick being the feminized-girly-uke-bottom and I don't picture him that way at all. Plus, it's a little overdone. So I may do something totally out there like Wally/Kaldur because that pairing is on my mind, or Wally/Roy because I love Roy and he deserves Wally, or maybe try my hand at realistic poly-amory with Wally but the last one is depending on how much nyquil I take while writing this.


	3. Plans

Training with Jay was brilliant. After learning the trick to slow his heart rate, Wally had worked on slowing down without the aid of Jay's touch. It was a slight bit harder to slow his heart rate solely by the sound of Jay's voice, but by the end of the night, they were able to go to speeds four or five times faster than the average human in speed-talk, and Wally was able to come back down after Jay talked about various things for close to a half-hour. It wasn't nearly as quick as he'd need to be out in the field, but it was amazing progress, or so Joan claimed.

Joan arrived around noon, and immediately began unloading her morning endeavors onto the table. She'd made beef burgers from scratch, and then assembled them into hamburgers with finely sliced tomatoes, crisp lettuce, cheese and bacon. Within twenty minutes of Joan's arrival, Wally was stuffed to the brim with hamburgers and homemade coleslaw. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until Joan placed five large burgers in front of him and a bowl of coleslaw. And he was still hungry enough to eat two more of those god-send burgers.

After that, Jay had worked on speeding Wally's mind up, and then he'd switch his conversation between Joan and Wally, switching speeds simultaneously. Wally found it startling to concentrate as Jay moved between speed-talking with him, and talking normally with Joan. His natural urge was to reply to Jay at the same speed, but the point was to switch between Jay and Joan. He hadn't quite mastered that trick by the end of the day, but he was able to slow down half-way and confuse himself between both speeds. It felt more like an embarrassment than accomplishment, but Jay had said it was quite a good start. To top it off, Joan had baked him cookies as a reward for his hard work. They were shaped like the Flash lightning bolts and decorated too. Wally had been so mesmerized that he'd asked if Jay had loaned her some speed to make them in under an hour and still taste like little bolts of heaven.

All in all, the day was fabulous.

"So, how'd the homework go?" asked Iris once she entered the house and saw the Garricks and Wally, laughing softly. It made her heart swell at the sight. She moved to the table and placed a kiss to Wally's head before moving to help Joan in the kitchen with making dinner.

"We didn't even start!" said Wally, gaping at the sheets that had been shuffled from in front of the speedsters, to the edge of the table, and then to the couch during the process of the day.

"Don't worry about it kid," said Jay easily, "We'll get to that stuff tomorrow. But you can try the slowing down trick with some of the more boring stuff if you attempt any of it tonight. The less you like a subject, the less excited you'll get over it and the less likely you'll speed up. But try not to get frustrated either. Frustration can make you slip into speed, so you've got to be careful. Choose something in the middle."

"Math," said Iris and Wally grinned and nodded in response. He liked math well enough, but it wasn't something that made him excited or conversely, frustrated. It was just the base to understand the physics and chemistry. Like a tool he had to learn in order to build his Rome.

"Don't try to speed through it either," said Jay firmly, "Slow down and move at a regular pace, or even slower than you would naturally do it. Don't worry if you struggle with it though, we'll work through body functions tomorrow."

"Got it," said Wally with a nod, already planning which math sheets he'd try and get out of the way. After all, once the homework was done, it would just be a summer of speed ahead.

"Where's Barry?" asked Joan to Iris, and the group turned to her, "I was going to make the pasta recipe he sent me last week that his coworker made for him."

"He's at a League meeting," said Iris with a sigh, and a sideways glance to Wally that went over the boy's head but was immediately caught on by the Garricks, "But he sends his regards."

"Overworking himself," grumbled Joan with a nod, before moving to lay out the table.

* * *

Barry was normally a very patient, kind man. He enjoyed going to work and interacting with his colleagues. On a good day, it was just normal murder and psychopathy. On a bad day, it was some new crazy trying to send a message to the Flash, or the police, or just plain crazy. Sometimes the Rogues would intervene and try a heist. There was no love lost between the Flash and his Rogues. He found himself tossing them into Iron Heights and that was it. Quick and easy, but still enjoyable. It reminded him of why the Scarlet Speedster was needed.

But, on the really busy, yet still enjoyable days, he'd get involved in a League mission. Alien attack. Luthor's grand scheme to take down Superman. Back-up for some weird magical issue that only Zatara or Wonder Woman really understood but was a sign of the impending apocalypse if it wasn't stopped. Sometimes Atlantis needed help and he got to test his water-running skills. Cold would be disappointed to find that Barry found water-running more challenging than his ice, but that was just due to the lack of practice Barry got with running on Water.

But, he had his off-days. Everyone had them, and Barry was no exception. On those days, Barry would think. He'd think about his mother, and his father, and the mystery of their deaths. He'd think about his life. His villains. Iris. Anything really. Sometimes it was with excitement. He wanted to use his speed and race home to Iris. Sometimes it was with anger. Why did the Rogues have to be so destructive and ruin the livelihoods of people all for petty revenge or money? Sometimes with a dash of wistfulness. What would life have been like if he'd never been orphaned? Today, his thoughts were entirely at home, with Wally and Jay.

It was unfair, really, that Barry wasn't there with them. Of all the luck. He'd gotten his protege at the one time in his life he was too busy to breathe. Just a month ago and he'd have been able to be there with the other speedsters, watching Wally's growth with his very own eyes. Instead, the first anniversary of the Justice League's 'creation' was coming up, and the United Nations had made the stupid assumption that this should be  _celebrated_. No amount of Superman's pleas or Batman's threats could dissuade them. That meant that the League's security detail had to be tripled. All major villains must be accounted for, as well as any cult supporters and anti-Superhero groups would need to be distracted.

Because there were going to be carnivals and festivals and all-you-can-eat buffets and autographs to be signed. They would have television specials playing over and over clips from the League battling various villains. And they were opening and closing with a bang. Each city would have it's own giant parade at the day of the Justice League's anniversary early in the morning. At night, the festivity of the anniversary date would end with the giant parade in Washington that would start and end at the goddamned Hall of Justice. The League was taking no chances with such a grand scale event.

An event like this meant that all the superheroes in the League would have to be present at Washington during the day of. It meant that every one of their villains knew where they were. It was too big a spectacle not to attract the crazies out. The ones who wanted revenge. The ones who were bitter. The hateful underbelly of the world that wanted to bare its teeth and let the chaos the superheroes prevented come to fruition. And that week of anniversary celebrations was going to be the end of the heroes if they weren't properly vigilant and watching their villains.

Not that the League believed in the slightest that all their preventative measured would halt all attacks aimed at them. In fact, they were convinced that there would be a grand attack that would ruin the entire day, or the day after that, or maybe- if they were lucky- the start of the day and put an end to the festivity for once and for all. Godfrey Gordon, a new reporter developing a small cult following of superhero-haters was already predicting calamity, and for once, the League was inclined to believe him.

As if securing all the major villains wasn't enough work to be done before the anniversary, security detail for the heroes hometowns had to be arranged. Any spare hero that had a friendship or acquaintance with the League was being called in to watch over their hometowns. Allies were being drafted into protecting the cities from any sort of impending doom. And Barry was a member of the original seven League members. He had to be present for all the security measures, he had to know them inside out, and he had to make sure that the Gem Cities were secured. Talk about a lot on his plate.

"What about Robin, Batman?" asked Wonder Woman loudly, her disapproval about the child hero situation having faded slowly since meeting the boy but nevertheless still evident at times when he was injured. After Two-Face had been a tense few weeks in the meeting rooms. "Where will he be during the parades?"

"In the Bat-Cave watching the situation in Gotham," said Batman brusquely, "Green Arrow is arranging for Speedy to be sent there as well."

Speedy. For all intents and purposes, Speedy was a good kid with a slight chip on his shoulder. Barry liked the kid well enough, even if he'd only been a hero now for two months. The thought of the two sidekicks made Barry once again think of Wally. He wondered if Wally was enjoying his training. If he was frustrated. If he was excited. He wondered about Wally's future costume. Would Wally want to design it on his own? Would he let Barry help?

More importantly, would Wally be safe during the anniversary celebrations? Barry hadn't been able to convince Iris to take the day off, and nor did he think he'd have any chance to convince her boss to let Iris take the day either. Jay had already agreed to look out for Central, with help from Ralph the Elongated Man. But Wally would want to be out there, and he wasn't trained enough yet. Heck, Barry didn't want Wally on the streets for another three months at the least! If he could, he'd keep Wally out of the thick of things until next year. Six months was a long time, but Wally deserved to be as well trained as possible before getting in a situation like that.

However, Barry sincerely doubted Wally was going to stay at home if there was trouble. The kid had a good heart, and he'd want to help, even if it was just a fire. And if Jay ran off and Wally had to watch from home the man in a fight, he'd pout. He'd want to help Jay. If something happened and it looked like Jay was in trouble, Joan wouldn't be able to contain the fireballs. Wests, for some annoying reason that Barry hadn't been able to fathom since meeting Iris, always gravitated out into the danger zones than away from them.  _It was for the report Barry! I just wanted to be like you, Uncle Barry. Blowing myself up seemed like a good idea._ Okay, so the last one wasn't all bad and it made his chest swell with pride, but Barry swore up and down that he had grey hairs just thinking about Wally getting hurt.

And what if a villain tried to target Iris? There was no way Wally would take that sitting down. Or worse, what if some obscure villain tried to attack the house? Maybe in the neighborhood? How could Barry not expect Wally to jump into the fray to try and protect the neighbors. It was what  _he'd_  do, and for whatever reason, Wally liked to imitate him.

"Barry!" called out through the meeting room, and the Flash glanced up, startled.

"I asked you a question," said Batman, looking pissed as his mouth curled into a scowl. Then again, he could be happy and his expression wouldn't change. But Barry was fairly sure that at this point, they were friends enough that Batman could change his expressions around the League.

"Er- What did you say?" asked Barry a little dazed. Beside him, Hal threw him an incredulous look. Barry always paid attention at a meeting. He even reprimanded Hal for not paying attention.

"I asked you what arrangements you wanted made for Iris," said Batman disapprovingly, "Superman has arranged for Lois to have a JL approved comm with a one-way transmitter as well as a tracker placed in both her earring and her brassiere."

Only Batman would refer to a woman's bra as brassiere and make Superman turn bright red.

"The same for Iris then," said Barry with a nod, "And the First Flash's wife needs a comm as well, and an earring tracker should be good enough since she'll stay inside for the day."

Batman eyed him and nodded, before moving to ask Aquaman what arrangements he'd like made for Mera. It was doubted that Mera would actually be in any danger she couldn't handle with her own powers and the guard she had, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Hal silently used his ring to Flash a very quick message under the table to Barry.  _What about the kid?_ The letters disappeared as fast as they were written, and only Flash or Superman would be able to understand the speed. Barry grimaced, and glanced at Hal, and then in morse code tapped back that he didn't know what to do. The morse code was something Hal had known as a kid and even with Barry typing twice as fast as the normal human, Hal was able to keep up.

_You should tell them._

No.

_Why not?_

I don't know.

_Feeling possessive?_

Shut up. He's untrained. I don't want to draft him into this so soon. Or debut him just yet. He's not ready for this.

_So just ask for a comm for him and a tracker._

Barry sent Hal a glare from behind the cowl as Hal grinned, before he cleared his throat. Hal was right, he was being stupid. This was Wally's safety on the line. Never mind his own desire to keep the kid as far away from the superhero community. Everyone turned to look at him, and he sighed as he glanced towards Batman.

"I need a second tracker and comm for my nephew, Wally," said Barry, and the surprise registered on most faces. They knew he had a nephew, but usually Barry let Iris's family be treated as normal civilians. Due to the expense to generate the trackers and comms, it was only for the high priority civilians in their lives that had any chances of being in the line of danger.

"Do you suspect he could be a target?" asked Bruce, his voice gruff and if Bruce ever showed emotion in the privacy of his cowl, there was probably an eyebrow raised behind those blanked out eyes.

"He might stay at my house, or with Joan," mumbled Barry, "Or he could be in Coast at Hal's place."

Superman, surprised stated, "I didn't know you'd introduced the Garricks to the West family."

"Not the Wests, just Wally," said Barry, slowly letting the group sink that in. He had to tell them eventually, might as well be today. Even if he hated doing so. Batman and Green Arrow got to go months before they said anything, but because his sidekick was a meta and he wasn't a billionaire, it was impossible to keep the secret hidden.

"Why?" asked Batman, eyes narrowing.

"He er- he found my journal a few weeks back, and tried to recreate my experiment to become the Flash," said Barry, pleased it came out only a slight bit faster than the average human.

"He did what?!" asked Diana, looking stunned.

"Was he successful?" asked Arthur curiously.

"Is he alright?" asked Clark, looking worried.

"Is he a liability?" asked Bruce, fiercely glowering, "How did he even  _find_  this journal? You never told us that you had the formula saved!"

"Please, friends, be calm," said J'onn, wincing at the sudden mental barrage in the room, particularly the viciousness of Bruce's thoughts and the amusement in Hal's. Why did those two always have to experience such vivid yet different emotions? It never failed to give him a headache.

"He's fine," said Hal easily, "Smart as a whip that kid, recreating an experiment like that."

"He was successful," said Barry to Arthur, and the room went silent.

"Oh sweet Hera," said Diana, looking amazed, "How on- How?"

So Barry retold the tale. Hal added in his own experiences with Wally and the kid's genius. They explained the slight differences in their speed as well as Jay's theories on the situation. Bruce was getting steadily more annoyed, while Clark and Diana looked amazed. Arthur was stoic as was J'onn, but they too looked mildly impressed at parts of the story.

"So, what now? Does he, I mean, are you making him a sidekick? Like, a Flash Boy?" asked Clark curiously.

"I don't know," said Barry flatly, "He wants to go out on the streets as a hero, but, well, he's still young-

"Robin is younger," pointed out Arthur and Barry sighed at that. It was true after all.

"Pity Speedy's taken," mused Hal, "Ollie always had a stupid sense of nicknames. Roy should have been Kid Arrow or something, and Wally could be Speedy. Flash and Speedy."

"That sounds like I'm running around with Roy," said Barry, a slight grimace thinking of how Ollie would react to that.

"Do you want him to work with you?" asked J'onn politely.

"I- I don't know," said Barry with a sigh, "He's a kid! I don't know if he's ready for that kind of lifestyle."

"He's a liability," said Bruce coldly, "And one that _should_ have been reported to us as soon as you knew that he was aware of your identity."

Barry felt his face grow hot, but not with embarrassment, but rather anger. He clenched his fist, and he stared at Batman. He knew that Bruce was only saying this as their leader and out of worry for the situation, but it didn't change Barry's feelings to the situation. He found himself getting annoyed. This was his family situation, his nephew. He was always quick to anger when his family was involved. Moreover, neither Batman nor Bruce had any place in the situation.

"He's my nephew Bruce," said Barry quietly, "And my responsibility. Besides, Wally fully understands how this works and the importance of my identity."

"We should have been told," said Bruce, glare firm and palms banged on the table in anger, "A new speedster running around is a cause of concern for League. Any new meta should be recorded in our databases."

"He's not a threat!" said Hal hotly, "He's a twelve year old kid!"

"So are the Terror Twins," tossed Batman, "As well as Icicle junior. And they've had plenty of skirmishes with the law that make them dangers to themselves as well as society."

"Batman," said Superman carefully, "He is the Flash's nephew. I doubt he's going to cause that sort of trouble. Besides, Flash had every right to want to keep this a secret for now. You kept Robin a secret for almost eight months before telling us. More concerning is the Flash formula. What did you do with the notes Flash?"

Diana gave an approving nod to this, before training her glare back towards Barry. Arthur was merely giving them an inquisitive look, while J'onn rubbed his temple. Headache. Barry felt guilty seeing his friend's reaction. J'onn was always sensitive to their emotions, and in this tiny room of the Watchtower, he was most likely stressed.

"I split the pages of the notes up," said Barry with a shrug, "One page is on the tower here, in my room's safe."

"And the others?" asked Batman irritably.

"I have one," said Hal with a smirk, "I placed it in the pocket dimension with my Power Battery."

"And the others?" asked Clark with a concerned face, "Are there others?"

"There's three more pages," said Barry hesitantly, "I gave one to Jay and the other I gave to Wally to keep. The last one I wanted to give to Iris but she just tucked it away in my ring-drawer at home until I could find a place for it."

"You trusted a top secret confidential formula with a child?" asked Diana, her expression incredulous.

"Where is he even keeping it?" asked Clark, amazed.

"It's a part of the Flash legacy," said Barry irritably, before feeling a little guilty. Of course his friends didn't understand. The uniqueness of his powers made it difficult for his friends to grasp the importance of those pages. "Besides, Wally's page is just the math. Hal's got the full list of ingredients and I have the section with the key steps. Even if anyone saw Wally's page it would seem like random mathematical equations. Nobody would be able to guess what the math means unless they were a speedster themselves. And I don't know where he kept it, just that he has it."

If possible, Batman looked more ticked. He seemed to be attempting to kill Barry through looks alone. The room was filled with an uneasy tension, but Barry wasn't going to change his mind. Those pages had changed the kid's life, and he deserved to have one as a memento. Though he hoped Bruce didn't try and steal it away in some misguided attempt at protecting identities. He stared Batman down, a silent confrontation taking place over Wally's situation. Bruce was daring him to back away from the responsibility, Batman reprimanding him for keeping the secret so long. But Barry faced it head on, not letting himself be bullied out of this.

"The one in your ring-drawer," said Batman finally, "Give it to me. I'll put it in the Bat-Cave safe."

"Alright," said Barry with a tight nod. It was the closest they'd get to a truce, and he had no doubt that Wally was going to be searched, as well as the entire West family, but Barry couldn't change Bruce's ways. Besides, the Wests were an ordinary family. They had nothing to worry about.

* * *

"That was an awkward meeting," said Hal, far too cheerily as he followed Barry through the alley-way with the zeta-tube and towards Barry's apartment.

"Diana and Bruce think I've lost my mind," said Barry with a dark glare, "Arthur offered to keep Wally's section in the Atlantean safes and then just stared at me after I told him it was okay with Wally."

The two climbed into the elevator, and Hal pressed the button for the fourth floor. Barry leaned against the railing of the elevator and sighed, running a hand through his short blonde hair. He hadn't realized how tiring this would all be. And it was only just beginning.

"I can't believe you're going to give Bruce a page," said Hal with a snort, "He's probably going to try and break down the formula and solve it himself."

"He'd die becoming a speedster," said Barry with a shrug, "Besides, Clark and Diana wouldn't let him go around with powers. He'd probably kill himself with overexertion. And Alfred wouldn't want to deal with him as a meta. The thought of losing Alfred would probably keep Bruce from trying anything."

"Which page are you going to give him?" asked Hal curiously.

"The page with the notes on the importance of the lightning," said Barry with a small grin, "He already knows about the lightning and it won't tempt him to try anything stupid."

"Pity," said Hal with a sigh, "Not even a few days of a coma?"

"Hal," said Barry with a glare, as Hal just chuckled and gave an innocent look, "C'mon! You have to admit that headquarters is nicer without him around."

The two climbed out of the elevator and Barry gave Hal a reprimanding look for his words. In this line of duty, you just didn't go around saying those sort of things. They'd all had too many close scrapes when it came to their lives. The two heroes made their way down the well-lit hall to Barry's condo apartment. Barry was drawing his keys out as they spoke.

"He's our teammate," said Barry with a firm shake of his head, "And a friend."

"More like the overbearing, paranoid boss that needs to get laid more often, and considering his reputation, that's saying something!" said Hal, as Barry shot him a dirty look and opened his apartment door.

"Honey! I'm home!" called Hal, and Barry was tackled by a red-head, arms tightening around his waist.

"Wally!" said Barry, grinning as he wrapped his arms around the kid, before being forced to let go as he treated Hal to an equally tight hug.

"I swear he's gotten faster!" said Hal easily, ruffling Wally's hair, "I almost didn't see him!"

"Yeah right," said Wally with a pout, though he was grinning at the both of them in his blue checkered pyjamas and Green Lantern t-shirt, "I didn't even run!"

"Is Jay still here?" asked Barry casually.

"He just left," said Iris as she came into view and gave Barry a soft kiss, "He was going to stay, but it was nearing eleven and Joan was driving."

"Shame," said Hal with a sigh, "I swear that woman was born to be a chef."

"We had a pasta-ravioli thingy for dinner! She left a whole pan for Barry," said Wally with a grin, "And some extra for lunch tomorrow."

"Perfect!" said Hal, as he lead Wally to the kitchen, "Warm some up for me?"

"With chocolate milk?" offered Wally.

"Or beer," tossed back Hal, "For me, not you."

As the two disappeared around the corner, Iris raised an eyebrow to Barry. The only reason Hal ever gave them time alone was because Barry had something important to say. Otherwise Hal had to stick around and be an ever present chatterbox in their life. Besides, Barry would want to hear all about Wally's day, and the fact that he was still standing here instead of chasing after his nephew was enough to let Iris know something was up.

"I told the League about him," said Barry reluctantly, as he placed his keys in the bowl by the front door, and awaited Iris's reaction.

"How- How did they take it?" asked Iris nervously, "I mean- Were they okay with it?"

"They weren't thrilled," said Barry with a grimace, "Mostly because I hadn't told them about Wally, and because of the formula lying around, but I smoothed it over. For now, they're dealing with it. By the way, Batman's making you a new bra."

Iris's eyes widened, before she started to giggle at that, and mischievously said, "At least we know it'll be good quality. I didn't realize that Batman knew  _everything_ about me."

Barry turned bright red, but Iris was still laughing as she lead him away, her laughter echoing in the halls, and Barry grinning ruefully at her. As they entered the kitchen, Wally and Hal stared at the two, but shook their heads and returned to the topic of their conversation- When Wally could have a beer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Challenge that really doesn't involve any hard work beyond imagination:
> 
> If you enjoy this story, or my Bat-Clan Wally story, and there's something you really want to see happen, I don't care, like a fluffy Barry takes Wally to the movies for the first time or Iris and Barry's first date (I want to write these both but they'll probably work their way into the main story or I'll write them in my head and that's that. Just, be original and don't ask for it) then place a request!
> 
> Request by reviewing or PMing. If I have time (and judging from the way this week is shaping up, I probably will~!) than I will write them.
> 
> The best two ideas for sure will get written. Maybe top three. For each story. Or maybe just best two per story, or two for one and three for the other, no idea, I don't really think this stuff through.
> 
> Anyways, until Wednesday I'm accepting requests, so take your time. You can place as many requests as you want, but to ensure fairness, only one request per person will be written. Each story will be listed as an in-universe One-Shot that is pure fluff (or angst, I go both ways), and they'll be like little Omakes like in manga an they'll be posted into this story itself. As for rating, I'm open to writing any rating (But be warned, I have little experience with writing good smut and I'd rather not write too much smut or boring smut or smut that makes no sense to the plot).
> 
> Finally, these challenges, if people enjoy them and I don't lose my mind, will make themselves apparent around holidays (So a Christmas one in the future maybe?).


	4. Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris prepare for Wally's first run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Challenge for prompts still on, post prompts ASAP. Challenge closes friday.

It was odd, Barry mused, how quickly Bruce adjusted to unexpected wrenches in his life. Somehow, Barry's work schedule had suddenly cleared up on Saturday, despite the heavy preparations in the CCPD for the upcoming festivities for the Justice League anniversary, as well as the coming up Board review of their departments to determine if they were meeting their goals. Barry, however, could care less. As if that wasn't great enough, he'd gotten an unexplained e-mail from an unknown source. It simply had an address for an abandoned airport up in Washington state. It was secluded from the main road and once had been a private Wayne property that had been recently demolished, according to Iris's investigations. The runways were still in tact, however, and would provide a great place to start Wally's training for his runs.

There was no explanation from the man, and Barry hadn't bothered to ask for one either. He'd simply pretended the occasion hadn't occurred, and Bruce had never brought it up when they'd run into each other at the headquarters while screening the guards who would be a part of the Hall of Justice if Barry had wanted to thank Bruce, there wasn't enough time. There were over fifty being stationed just inside the building itself. Two hundred men would be stationed outside. And they still had to go through the background checks and screening for the men who'd be lining the roofs of Washington D.C to keep an eye on the roads where the parade would run.

And that _still_  wasn't all the security they'd need to organize.

But Barry shoved those thoughts out of his head this morning. He had no reason to concern himself about what would happen on the security lines today. Because it was  _finally_  Saturday, and Barry could  _finally_  take Wally out for his first run. Barry was going to use the twenty-four hour access code for the zeta and take Wally, Iris and Joan up the airstrip in Washington. Jay had his own code that would let him through without Barry's help. Hal had promised to arrive midday after finishing his shift at the Ferris air-grounds. They were making a day-trip of it.

Wally had shown a vast improvement in the week of working with Jay, or so Barry was told. He could now switch between speech at various speeds up to seven times faster than the average human within twenty minutes. His reading was still causing an issue, and he'd only cut through about half of the homework pile, which was really only his math, science and geography. English, Spanish and history was still too much to read for the kid, and they'd never been his strong suits to begin with. Luckily, once he got into high-school next year, he could drop history. Barry still wanted the kid to keep up with geography; it was useful for a speedster, as well as Spanish. Languages were never unnecessary in their line of work.

Despite the improvements, however, Barry and Jay had agreed that Wally was still going to have trouble keeping up with school. He needed special tutoring, and at the rate a normal class went, Wally wouldn't be able to keep up with the incoming load of homework. Neither Rudy nor Mary were equipped to teach the kid the high-school level curriculum, and even if Barry and Iris offered to help, neither could profess expertise in some of what Wally would learn. Nor did they have the time to keep up with Wally's school work between their busy careers. Without special aid from the school, Wally was undoubtedly going to fall behind, despite their best efforts. Barry wasn't sure how to address the situation yet, but he wasn't thinking about it. He barely had the time. Jay had offered to figure it out, but Barry still felt tremendously guilty. He hadn't even talked to Jay about Wally's improvement. Not properly at least. Iris usually relayed messages as Barry got in around midnight each night, or he'd get a lucky five or ten minutes on the phone with Jay. He was extremely lucky if he managed to catch Wally on a good day before the kid passed out from exhaustion.

Which was why this run was so much more important. It was the first thing Barry would get to really teach his kid, the first thing he'd get to help Wally with. And nothing was going to take him away from this moment!

"Iris," whispered Barry quietly, "It's time to get up!"

His wife, the gorgeous red-headed goddess, merely stirred and gave a low, annoyed huff. She turned to face him, one green eye deliberately opened and looking irritated. God she was hot when she was irritated. But she had no right to be annoyed. He'd waited nearly a half hour for her to get up! He'd gotten out of bed and made sure to get everything ready, pretending it was a perfectly reasonable time to get up despite the lack of sun outside the window, but she didn't need to know that. He'd drawn the curtains tight, set the clock forward.

"It's five a.m," said Iris firmly, "Go to sleep and don't wake me up for another three hours."

Damn. He'd forgotten to move her phone from beside her bed.

* * *

Wally, for his part, had no clue about what his uncle was planning. Thus, to Iris's relief, when she woke up at seven thirty because her grown-up, super-hero husband was behaving like a child going to the amusement park for the first time, she'd managed to take a relaxing half hour shower and get dressed without having Wally and Barry on her case about how slow she was. To further irritate her husband, Iris had purposely taken ten minutes to choose a pretty green sundress for the occasion and let her red hair fall in soft waves around her face. On any other occasion, Barry might have stopped to admire the way her legs looked in the dress, but today wasn't any other occasion.

Besides, she had already worn him out. Barry was being as patient as possible, and maybe Iris was being mean, but she was having a little fun teasing him. Barry was always so unruffled and calm like a block of stone. It was hard to get him to crack. Maybe that's why Hal interrupted so many of their dates when they were starting out. And it definitely explained why he and Ollie, drunk out of their minds, showed up at their honey-moon location in costume just to see a flustered Barry.

"Can we wake him up now?" asked Barry, almost pouting as he turned to Iris, "Jay and Joan are going to be here in another half hour. Wally should be ready by then!"

"God you're adorable," said Iris, wrapping her arms around Barry's neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

Distance was definitely a factor in keeping the spark in their relationship, mused Iris. Almost a week of being unable to do more than just fall asleep together had them both clinging to each other in the morning kitchen playing tonsil hockey like teenagers. Her hands raced through and gripped Barry's collar, unable to hide the arousal she felt. It was just so amazing to see Barry this excited about being a mentor. _A dad._  Their was a thrill between them as they parted, lips swollen and grins on their faces. It was more than just excitement about being with each other after a week of nothing.

It was the very atmosphere of the room. Of the day. That electric charge of going on an outing as a family to teach their kid. This was something neither of them had ever thought they could have. More than that, there was something intangible, inexplicable, some kind of giddy joy about taking Wally for his first run that made the two unable to stop grinning. Their faces were plastered with ridiculous smiles that had they been in Gotham, would have the next person to see them calling the GCPD because Joker toxin was in the air.

There were no words.

"Now?" asked Barry, just a tad breathless, his eyes gleaming with a spark that wasn't entirely about Iris at all. And she didn't mind in the slightest as she pressed a last kiss to his lips.

"Let me get the camera," breathed Iris, as she took a large gulp of air and pulled the thin and compact silver camera out and slid the switch to 'on'.

The two were practically shoving each other in the doorway as they entered Wally's room, or the unofficial guest room. The walls had a few pictures, a lone poster for an old Flash poster featuring Jay Garrick from Barry's youth, and deep grey and blue linens. Curled inside the large double bed was their thin little nephew. He was rolled up so tightly in the quilt that it would have been impossible to find him if it weren't for the orange head of hair popping out from above the sheets.

Iris clicked a picture of the scene, her heart swelling as Barry moved forward and took a seat. The two were beaming at each other. Barry shyly, almost like he was unwrapping a present, lifted off the quilt from Wally's body, using only his thumb and middle finger to clutch the blanket.

Below the quilt, Wally was curled into himself. The Flash action figure from his youth was lazily tucked under his arm, pressing it close to his body. The rest of him was curled like a beetle inwards. His freckled face was serene as his chest rose and fell in even, slightly faster-than-normal breaths. Just like Barry when he was sleeping well. Iris raised the camera and took another picture, unable to help herself at the sight.

"Wally," whispered Barry, gently placing a hand on the boy's thin shoulders, "Time to get up!"

"Mm.. five minutes," muttered Wally, turning to move towards Barry, hand gripping out from the Flash figure to wade towards the closest heat source. Barry made things easier as he moved into the bed beside his nephew, who gave a floppy little yawn and wiggled in beside Barry, scrunching his nose as he curled up around Barry's leg. The Flash figure came too, digging into Barry's thigh. Another picture.

"I thought you wanted to go running," teased Barry, and their prone little nephew's green eyes suddenly snapped open.

He was sitting up before Iris could get the picture. It was a good thing she'd switched to video mode already. The twelve-year old was thrumming with excitement as he stared in awe at Barry, eyes hopeful and wide, the size of Captain Cold's fists. His little pink lips were quivering like a plucked string.

"We're running?" he squeaked, the awe practically dripping from his mouth as Barry finally cracked under that expression. Iris was barely holding onto her laughter as Barry nodded, his happiness contagious in the room.

"I- I'llbereadyin _fiveminutes_!" screamed Wally, and Iris let the camera follow the boy as he kicked the heavy quilt off, fumbled over Barry's legs, tripped and fell on his bum off the side of the bed. Before Barry could grab him, Wally was scrambling over to the closet and searching for clothes.

"Shower! And brush your teeth!" said Iris sternly, and Wally nodded before disappearing to the bathroom.

Iris traded a look with Barry, and they both gave into the laughter that was in their stomachs, as Iris clicked the camera off and fell back on the bed beside her husband. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pressed his lips sloppily to her shoulder.

"I love you," said Barry, almost reverently, and Iris understood.

"I love you more," said Iris, the silent thank-you for bringing Wally so intimately into their lives conveyed as much as she could.

"I love you most," said Barry, a cheesy smile on his lips as he kissed Iris again, and who was she to resist? Besides, if Barry thought she deserved any credit for this moment, he was clearly insane. And you shouldn't disrupt a man's delusions.

"He's getting faster," said Iris, after a few minutes of comfort. The shower beside them had already clicked off. Three minutes to shower. Their boy was really getting quick.

"I'm missing so much," came Barry's soft, anguished voice.

"So am I," said Iris, pressing her hand to her husband's cheek, "But today we're making up for that. We're here today. And we'll be there for all the other todays too."

"I wonder how fast he's going to get," mused Barry softly, "I want to be there each step."

Iris let Barry go off into his dream world. She knew what he was thinking. The future, with Wally at his side. The speed was a place Iris could never follow her husband to. And now she was surrendering her nephew to it as well. And it was okay, because they'd be together, watching each others backs. Barry burrowed his head into her neck again, his breath a quicker than the normal man. He was relaxed. Iris shut her eyes and let herself be held.

"Can we go now?"

The two opened their eyes to see a fully dressed Wally West standing at the foot of the bed. His red hair was mussed and still wet, the damp tendrils clinging to his cheeks and forehead. A slight trickle of water dripped down his cheeks, and it was most definitely not sweat. He was wearing a Flash t-shirt and running shorts and his sneakers were already on. Iris swallowed at the sight. When had Wally grown up so much? He'd never been that tall. He needed a hair cut for sure. He was still too skinny, but his face was starting to lose that baby-roundness and shape itself a bit more into a more mature look. He was growing up so  _so_  fast.

"C'mere," said Iris, holding her arms out to the boy.

Wally crossed his arms, and glanced to the door. He wanted out. To run. Well too bad. Iris wanted to hold her boys for another moment. Have them with her before she let them run free and far. Barry lazily offered an arm, and Wally's shoulders slumped before he climbed onto the bed, sneakers and all, into their arms and let himself be wrapped up by Iris between his aunt and uncle. Barry pressed a kiss to Wally's head, as he squirmed, getting water on the sheets and the two adults. Neither really minded.

"You're going to run today," said Iris softly, wrapping her little boy in her arms, inexplicably sad and proud at the same time. She wanted to hold him for another hour. Keep him safe. And at the same time she wanted to be there. Watching the two blurs of husband and child running side by side. Wanting to be a part of the magical connection that only the speed could give them.

"We have to get out of bed for that," whined the boy, but he still curled into his aunt. Maybe he understood from the mood that she needed to hold him before he was gone. Just a gust of wind that she'd never get to see with her own eyes. His hand curled into the forest green dress, and his head rested on her collar bone.

"Five more minutes," said Barry, glancing at Iris with soft, understanding eyes above Wally's head, "And then we'll grab some breakfast. As soon as the Garricks call, we'll head out."

"'Kay," said Wally, letting Iris hold him without complaint.

* * *

"Ready to go kid?" asked Jay, already decked out in costume to Joan's annoyance as they met the Garricks at the alley-way zeta-tube that Barry had used with Hal just the other day.

"Sure am!" cheered Wally, bagel crumbs still on his lips as he accepted the fifth bagel from Iris, who was carrying a backpack of snacks with her, and sweaters galore in case it was slightly chilly up in Washington.

"I brought you the burgers you liked," said Joan, somehow managing to wiggle between Barry and Wally with the silent ease of a panther and arms a napkin already in hand wiping off Wally's cheeks.

"You didn't have to!" said Wally, eyes wide and surprised, "Thank you!"

"Nonsense, you're too skinny," said Joan with a sniff, "Hospital food is a sorry excuse for a meal. Look at the damage it's left on you for the last three months! When Jay and I ended up in the hospital after his confrontation with the Fiddler the summer of 1966 they were feeding him nearly a fraction of what he normally ate! Took me months to get him back to normal weight."

"How?" asked Wally, genuinely shocked, "You're food is amazing Grandma Joan! How did Jay resist?"

Iris traded an amused look with Barry and Jay. When had Joan trained Wally to call her Grandma?

"Because I was barely able to eat solid foods for a ten days, and Joan got out of a coma of two weeks and wasn't able to cook for a month," said Jay dryly.

"You were in a coma?!" gaped Wally, "What was that like?"

"Boring," said Joan with a shrug, "I kept wondering whether or not Jay had done the dishes. He hadn't. There was a colony of mold growing in our sink when we got home."

"That's awesome!" said Wally, eyes bright, before turning to Iris and-

"No," said Iris, lips thin, "We will not grow a colony of mold in the sink."

"Maybe in a petri dish," offered Barry, "On some potato skins."

Iris glared at her husband, but Joan was already discussing which potatoes would yield mold the quickest with Wally, and the idea was settled. Oh well. As long as it wasn't in the kitchen.

"Well, on that note, let's head out!" said Jay cheerfully, nodding to the zeta.

* * *

When they arrived at the airstrip, Wally was immediately spouting off facts about teleportation and the latest research being done on teleporters as well as the physics being it. All Barry heard was something about Heisenberg Correcters. He was in his own mind, clearing his emotions, preparing for the day. He seemed eager to just get started, but Jay was too relaxed as he walked behind and inspected their surroundings.

The place was tucked behind large, grey fenced walls. The sky was slightly cloudy, but the sun was peeking through the clouds which were scattered across the sky like powdered sugar. The trees dotted above the sky, like ruffled feathers. The airstrip itself was in very good condition for being abandoned. The asphalt runway was pristine, like a stainless steel counter that gleamed in the sky. Their was a small radio-shack that probably held the radio system used to communicate with the plains, as well as a large garage built for a small jet.

Barry lead the group towards the radio shack, and grabbed two large chairs from inside. By the time the leathery armchairs were set up outside the radio shack under the awning, Joan had started directing Wally and Jay to make the place and Jay were unloading a small folding table that went between the chairs, with Joan's sewing kit already out. Iris was clicking pictures, looking at ease and flashing Barry a wide, pretty smile before returning to observe the others. Barry grinned at the group, as Wally began to twitch and fidget, obviously wanting to just run.

"Comfortable?" asked Jay to his wife, giving her a gentle smile.

"More than," said Joan with a nod, as she sat down and removed a recording camera.

"Alright, time to suit up you two," said Jay, turning with the attitude of a military general and faced his troops.

"I don't have a suit," said Wally, a small frown on his face.

"You didn't think we'd leave you hanging, did you kid?" asked Barry, grinning as he tossed Wally a small object from his pocket.

"You designed me a suit!?" gaped Wally, plucking the object from the air and then fumbling to keep it in his hand.

"No," said Barry sheepishly, "I shrunk one of my suits down with some help from Hal. It should fit you for now. We'll work on getting you a suit later on. For now though, this is your practice costume."

Wally gaped at Barry in awe, and he grinned shyly, before looking at the ring in his hand. He ran his thumb along the bolt design, admiring the flawless gold finish. Barry's ring was less obviously a Flash ring. The bolt was slightly thinner, and the round was larger. Barry's wedding ring had a similar design so that the ring was interchangeable to his coworkers when the situation called for it.

"This- It's mine?" asked Wally, amazed.

"If you want it," said Barry, a little nervous, "I mean- We can work on your real costume later on, but this should work for now."

"Yeah," said Wally, his eyes gleaming as he continued to fiddle with the ring. "How, I mean- err- How does it work?"

"Like this," said Barry, pushing down on the top of the ring, and feeling the familiar swoosh as the costume spun out. He moved as quickly as the costume wrapped around him, his arms following the familiar pattern into the sleeves, letting the gloves go over his fingers, his legs already slipping into the costume, and the cowl slipping over his head, his hands coming along to aid and adjust it was it moved. His hands moved to snap the zippers and clasps in place.

When he turned, he saw his awe-struck nephew staring at him with jaw dropped, floppy bangs in his eyes and clear cut fear at attempting that trick. Okay. Start slow Allen.

"Or you can just twist the cap and let the costume slip out. The radio shack is a great place to change," offered Joan pleasantly, before Barry could.

"Or that," said Barry, a little awkwardly as he blushed.

"Yeah," said Wally, nodding in relief, "But- Can you teach me that?"

"Sure thing kiddo," said Barry, grinning.

Wally headed off to change. Barry thrummed in silence, struggling as each minute passed. There was a pleasant, apprehensive silence as they waited.

"Uncle B! I need some help!" called a voice from the radio shack, and Barry grinned as he sped inside it.

Inside, Wally's cheeks were flushed with frustration, his eyes big and stubborn as he held out the costume. He'd managed to pull the spandex on, but the clasps and zippers were undone and looked like they'd been mauled. Wally was looking helpless as he held the red cowl, glaring at it like it was his worst enemy.

"C'mere Kid," said Barry, as Wally trudged over in annoyance.

"It's so complicated!" whined Wally, as Barry ran his hand over the red fabric, his fingers working quickly to zip and close the openings. One zipper ran along the inside of Wally's left arm down the side of his belly, and ended where the pants began. It helped Barry to keep that opening to slide into his costume. The other zipper was on the top of the right arm, easy to shut and the fabric came together. The pants slid on with a zipper on the inseam of the inner left leg, and it was easy to drag up. The boots slipped on like gloves. This must be how parents felt helping their kids dress for prom, or their weddings, or their first halloween, mused Barry, as Wally was done getting dressed.

"Why do you need so many zippers?" asked Wally, glaring at the costume.

"Easier to slip on when the ring uncaps and the costume comes out," said Barry, "I'll explain it when you try that trick out. Time to get the cowl on."

Wally tugged the mask on, a little miniature Flash figure in red. He could be Barry's tiny clone, if he didn't keep tugging at the head of the mask. Barry reached out to ruffle the red hair, only to frown at the last minute when he realized that the cowl made Wally's head smooth and unruffled. Not at all like the kid Barry knows.

"How do I look?" asked Wally, a little uncertain as he fidgeted, and Barry replied with sincerity, "Wonderful."

The two head out, where Iris and Joan immediately squeal at the sight of a little red Flash moving alongside Barry, in shiny red spandex with a yellow bolt across his chest. The little lightning bolts poked out of his head, and he kept tugging at the top of the cowl.

"You look wonderful!" said Iris, tugging Wally into a hug.

"Pass me the camera Jay!" said Joan, delighted as she beamed at the family. A few minutes later, pictures were being taken.

"This stupid cowl is annoying," said Wally with a grimace, "Can't I take it off Uncle B? The eye thing is stupid!"

"Give it here," said Joan, a calculating look in her eye as Wally complied.

Within a minute, Joan had her sewing kit out and was cutting through the spandex with ease, scissors finding the delicate seams within the fabric and tearing it apart. Jay was relaxed, so Barry had no issues with it. He watched as her nimble fingers flowed through the fabric, completely unaware of the twitching pre-teen beside her, watching her every move with a mix of horror and delight. Her hands raced and switched, dragging the needle through the fabric like sliding it through water.

Seconds later, Wally's hair was poking out from the red cowl, his green eyes visible as the white eye-mask was tugged out to give Wally better visibility for his first run. His face was bright and beaming as two gold bolts contrasted brightly with the orange and red of his face. More pictures were clicked.

Jay finally opened his mouth, grinning as he said, "Well than kid, ready to run?"


	5. Set

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not quite at running, Wally starts his exercises to get ready to run across the world

Wally was prepared to race. To run. To utilize his kinetic energy to it's full potential and thereby moving at an extreme velocity through the air. He was all set to go. Except until he  _wasn't_. Because apparently there was a lot more to moving with speed than _just_ running. Go figure.

“Alright, first thing's first,” said Jay with his military-gym-teacher style attitude that was surprisingly not scary like Coach Saunders back in Keystone, “We get started on coordination. The worst thing about being a speedster is the switch between speeds. Makes a person think you're damn clumsy, but it works out better than you'd think where the whole civilian identity is concerned.”

Wally nodded. He almost wanted to take notes, but there was no blackboard, and he still couldn't actually write anything down beyond numbers without tearing the paper or breaking pencils. Typing was marginally better, but he had to type like a cave-man and he worked so slowly that it was almost not worth it. Except until Aunt Iris said that he wasn't allowed to practice speed until he finished his homework. And he knew it worried Jay that his pace was slow, so he had to try harder and slow caveman-typing was worth it so that Jay didn't think he was broken or something. 

“The easiest way to start working up the shift in speeds is to work on reflexes,” continued Jay, seemingly unaware that Wally's thoughts had abandoned Jay's speech in the moment he paused.

That was an issue all speedsters had, according to Jay. Apparently because a speedster's mind worked at a naturally faster pace, they could think miles ahead if they weren't really concentrating on the task ahead. It's why they were considered to have an attention deficit disorder of some kind. But he really couldn't help it. In the time it took the average person to breathe, Wally could do calculate the derivative of a logarithmic function and the integral of said function. Twice.

“Wally?” said Jay, looking amused, the Flash barely concealing a grin.

Crap.

“Er, sorry,” said Wally, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, “I missed what you said.”

“I said that we're going to train your reflexes,” said Jay, grinning, “By playing a very fun game of dodge-ball.”

That was when Wally noticed the large bag of balls, that must have appeared from thin air (or the radio-shack or airplane garage) that was sitting at Jay's feet. Wally paused, and dropped his hand. His entire face fell and he almost wanted to cry. Instead of getting to run and watch the colours blur and move at the speed of light- he was playing  _dodge-ball_. This was going to suck. Worse, he was going to make the biggest fool of himself in front of his idols and they were going to realize why exactly Wally barely managed to scrape a 'C' in gym. It had nothing to do with his mother's laments that the bigger kids had an advantage. His dad had the right idea. It was because he was a scrawny, uncoordinated klutz that couldn't catch a ball for peanuts.

“Relax kid,” said Jay easily, mistaking Wally's nerves as excitement rather than fear. “All we're doing is training your reflexes to dodge at high speeds. Barry and I'll give you a demo. Flash?”

Immediately the Flash stepped up to the plate, giving Wally a quick wink though it was hard to tell from behind the cowl. Then he turned his attention to Jay, as he moved to the center of the runway. For a second, everything was quiet, and then, there was a sharp piercing sound as the air was cut by a large ball roving through it. The ball flew through the air, dicing and ripping at amazing speeds before it slid through and headed for the Flash.

The Flash, for his part, stood perfectly still as the ball flew at him. Once it was half-way towards him, he moved out of the way, just leaving enough time for the ball to crash into the ground, leaving a small crack in the asphalt. The Flash grinned, as he called back, “Going easy on me?”

Jay chuckled in response. Wally's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. How was he going to dodge a ball going as fast as a car? Or faster than that even! 

“You're turn,” said Jay with a nod, “We'll start slow, one ball at a time. Just duck out of the way, alright?”

Wally merely nodded.

Stepping up to the center of the runway, Wally turned to see Jay, giving him a smile. Barry was waving from beside Jay, having already sped over to wait with the other man. Jay lifted a ball, and tossed it into the air, making it seem harmless as he did so. Then he turned to Wally, and with a whip of his arm, he flung it at him.

Wally stared in shock at the ball. The aim was impressive as the ball spun in the air. No wonder Jay had been on the football team as a kid. It moved so fast that it started to pick up some fire at the edges as it flew towards Wally.

“Dodge!” yelled a voice, suddenly finding it's way into Wally's head and his body reacted the only way he remembered how to.

He jumped to the side, watching the blackened thing land a few feet away before tripping on his own two feet, and landing in a heap on the ground. His heart was pounding and he could barely breathe as he stared at the ball ahead of him. Had he actually dodged  _that_?

“Kid?” came a worried voice, and Wally turned to see Uncle Bar- Flash, standing above him, looking concerned.

“Di- I- That really happened?” asked Wally, a bit stunned.

“You're doing great kid!”

Wally turned to see Jay, standing before him as well. He felt a bit envious as he looked at the older two Flashes, both grinning encouragingly at him. Wally licked his lips as he stood up, his legs a bit wobbly still.

“You're reflexes are starting to work. Let yourself relax. Feel the speed,” said Jay soothingly, “Let's keep going, okay?”

“Yeah,” said Wally shakily, as Jay lead Barry away.

He was once again standing in the middle of the air strip, waiting for Jay's call. He heard Jay's yell of 'Now!' before he saw the ball coming at him. This time the angle was lower, aiming for his legs rather than his torso. The speed was the same break-neck speed it had been before, and Wally reacted instinctively, as he ducked to the side. This time without tripping.

“Now!”

A second one came after the first, this time from a different angle and it was soaring through the air, making it's way to hit him. Wally frowned, as he stared at the angle. He backed up four steps, and as predicted, the ball landed in front of him. Had he been in his spot, the force of the ball's impact with the ground might have been enough to disrupt his balance, but it wouldn't have struck.

Suddenly there was a little 'click' in his mind. This was physics! If he was able to estimate the ball's trajectory he could possibly determine the position it would hit. Of course, he could hardly do the entire mathematical process but-

“Now!”

He could probably use a base model and rework it for the situation. The thought was cut off as he rushed slightly to the left, avoiding a ball that narrowly missed his shoulder. Bad guess. He'd overestimated the ball's path and almost ran into it. The next ball coming at him was coming low and almost looking to be rolling through the air, just hovering over the air-strip as it bounced twice on the ground. Safely Wally stayed where he was, letting it roll away to the left of him.

“You're doing great Kid!” called Flash, grinning immensely at the situation, “Ready for two on one?”

Wally gaped at his uncle, unsure. Jay was still throwing the balls, and he was still dodging. One ball had grazed the top of his shoulder, and he'd just felt the ball's hit. The costume had absorbed the friction of the blow, but other than that, this was easy. He still had to work on that model, but this was easy.

“Ye- Yeah!” he called, and to his surprise, rather than Uncle Barry picking up the balls, Jay was. He was sending them two at a time, using his advantage as a speedster to send them at faster speeds than Wally was prepared for, and from various angles.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wally noticed that his Uncle Barry was speeding around and collecting the balls on the ground that were surprisingly still in tact and toss-able. He'd managed to grasp the basic models for the pathways the balls could take and he had a pretty good idea of how to predict their movements and where he should go, but other than that, it wasn't too much math. And he noticed now, that he was definitely moving faster than the balls. It was getting easy to duck this way and that.

In fact, it was so easy that Wally was now prioritizing in his own mind the differences in when each ball would hit. Ball B from the right would hit later than Ball A from the left, so he could afford to wait in Ball B's pathway for a few seconds before ducking away. In this haze of balls flying, nobody sought to warn Wally of the third ball now entering the arena thanks to his Uncle Barry.

As the ball whizzed past Wally's torso, the boy having ducked at the last second, he turned to see a grinning Barry holding a ball up and bouncing it before he suddenly whipped it with a tremendous force at Wally. And this ball was going faster than the ones Jay was throwing. As if Barry's entry into their game had spurred Jay on, the balls themselves were moving faster. To Joan and Iris, it was just blurs of reds and blacks and blues, spinning around as they moved, and then stopped to reveal which speedster was where, or which ball was going where and landing and splitting asphalt below it.

Some were so fast Wally had to react instinctively and duck out of the way, while others were moving so slow that Wally had to blink thrice and just walk a few steps and watch it fall away. He didn't realize he was grinning as they continued to play their game. He didn't realize the laughter that started to bubble from his lips, pouring out in a way he'd never felt before while playing sports.

The once difficult-to-attune senses were reacting instinctively, his mind still faster than his brain as he moved. The model in his mind was still there, but it was muted. Almost like an after thought to consider later on. He found himself able to hear the ball, sense the shifts in the winds around him. It was like his body had become hypersensitive. Every movement around him was registering in his senses. It was  _soamazing_. He could tell the speeds that were heading towards him before he saw the ball themselves. And then he just knew where to move. Like he was some kind of fortune-teller.

“Alright! Time!” called Jay, his words moving at a hyperspeed to register with Wally's speed.

The boy grinned as he came to a stop, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His kinetic energy was pulsing through him, struggling to be contained. He wanted to run. To be released. To finally achieve that speed catharsis that he could only dream about late at night before his tired mind shut down.

“Canwerun _now_?!” begged Wally, as Uncle Barry came over and ruffled his hair, laughing at the pink-faced boy before him and his enthusiasm.

“Well done!” called Jay, grinning as he came over, “Only one hit! I don't think I've seen anyone attune to the speed as quickly as you kid. Took me a couple of days before I could figure out how to deal with everyone moving at different speeds around me. Took Barry what, a month?”

“Two weeks,” said Barry grudgingly, but his grin betrayed no hurt at the subject, “I could switch speeds like I could breathe, but being able to sense speed took me two weeks to figure out without hurting myself or anyone else in the process. And it took the kid what, two hours?”

“I did it better than you?” squeaked Wally, eyes wide in shock as pride filled his body. He had done _better_  than the Flash. 

“Probably means he's got a natural feel of speed around him, but his body can't regulate it,” said Jay thoughtfully as he stroked his chin, “Like the opposite to you. He's struggling to figure out his own internal speeds, and you can regulate the internal speeds at ease. Huh. Another speed mystery.”

“What about you then Jay?” asked Wally with a small frown, “And what does that mean? I can't control my own speed but I can control the speed around me?”

“Not control the speed around you per say,” said Jay easily, “Just you're extremely aware of the speed around you. I've never heard of anyone that could control speed, but I'm hardly the speedster expert myself. Anyways, what it means is that you're a bit more different from me and Barry. Every speedster is different, don't get me wrong, but you're a bit more different. I've probably got a closer understanding to the speed style that you've got, but overall, my speed's a lot more like Barry's in the sense that I understood my own speed before I was able to process the speed around me. You're working backwards kid, you've got full control and understanding of speeds around you, but absolutely no control of your internal speeds.”

“Could it be because of his age?” offered Barry, seeing Wally's confused look, “Teenagers hardly have control of themselves at this age with all the hormonal changes. It could be why he's struggling to set his speeds.”

“Could be,” said Jay with a nod, and then a stern expression came across his face, “But it definitely means that we need to change his regimen. I should have realized when we were doing the mental training. He wasn't regulating his heart rate on his own, but he was more focused on attuning his heart rate to Joan or myself. And I encouraged him thinking he was figuring out how to differentiate between average speed and speedster speed. He's probably got no understanding of it at all. No wonder he's still struggling with reading! He's got nothing to compare his speed to when he's reading! Shit!”

“So- I'm messed up?” asked Wally, eyes wide and the excitement from earlier fading entirely as he stared in horror at Jay. He'd never seen the older speedster so upset! And it was because he was screwed up.

“Calm down Jay,” said Barry sternly, before giving Wally a gentle smile and wrapping an arm around the kid, “And you're not messed up kid. Jay's just upset because all the mental training you've been doing wasn't actually of any help to you at all. It just means that we've got to work on a new training set for you.”

“So- Does that mean I'm not going to be able to run with you?” asked Wally, swallowing at the idea, and biting his lower lip.

“Course not kid,” said Jay, tilting his metal hat upwards and sighing, “It just means that there's no way in hell you're going to be ready for school this year.”

“Oh,” said Wally, a small grin on his face, “That's okay I guess. I'd rather train with you.”

The two older speedsters laughed at Wally's suggestion, and Jay reached out and ruffled his hair. He exchanged a look with Barry that went over the kid's head, and replied instead, “No can do kiddo. You're still going to go to school, we're just going to have to train a lot longer. But I guess that means more body exercises. Let's grab some water and start part two of your training.”

* * *

Iris was prepared when the boys abandoned whatever animated discussion they were having and came over. Automatically, two bottles of water were thrust at Barry, two at Wally, and three at Jay. At once, the three tipped the bottles backwards and gulped the water in unison, making Joan chuckle as she continued her sewing. Apparently she had decided to make Wally some authentic Flash pyjamas themed to match the older Flash and Barry's Flash after the boy had pointed out he had no merchandise themed for both Flashes, or Jay's Flash.

“How's it going?” asked Iris with a small smile.

“He's like a mini-speedometer of sorts,” said Jay with a chuckle, “Kid can sense speeds like nothing I've ever seen before.”

“I'm-I'mdrop-  _dropping_  out of school to train!” said Wally, his speed regulating as he slowed himself to match Iris and Jay's conversation. Iris froze for a minute, before immediately sliding her eyes to Barry and raising one elegant eyebrow.

“I'll explain later,” said Barry with a chuckle, “And he's not dropping out!”

“Not like I need school anyways if I'm going to be a superhero,” continued Wally, ignoring Barry entirely.

“Who needs a secret identity,” said Iris wryly, “And I thought you wanted to be a scientist-superhero?”

“Oh yeah,” said Wally, crestfallen at the idea.

Joan just gave a little laugh in the background before saying, “So I'm assuming you boys are having fun?”

“Tons!” said Wally with a grin, “Did you see us out there?!”

“You were all such quick blurs, but we saw the gist of it. Iris took some pictures and recorded a bit,” said Joan with a nod, “Are you hungry?”

“Nah,” said Wally with a shrug, “We're going to do part two of the training now!”

“What's part two?” asked Iris with a questioning glance, “Running?”

“More winding than running,” said Jay with a nod to Barry, who immediately gave a nod and rushed ahead to the garage for the jets. 

“Winding?” asked Wally, looking a little lost.

“It's like running, but short distances and around objects,” explained Jay, “No clear-cut running yet. Barry's going to set up a few hurdles and you're going to go through the obstacles, getting faster and faster with each run through. Once you've run through the course and reached your maximum, Barry and I are going to start switching the course up. You'll keep running, but it's like speed sensing with immobilized objects. You've got to anticipate something in front, behind, or beside you and know where to move. Barry's not bad at it, I took to it with ease. I have no clue what that means for you kid. Either you'll be able to move through the course like a fish, or we'll be at it for a while.”

“And then do we run? Like together? To like Kansas or something?” asked Wally, impatient.

“And then we can run. Well, this exercise is sort of running, but you're on your own, and it's contained” acquiesced Jay with a nod, and a smirk, “You need these skills though, being able to predict where to move and react without a thought. If you can't tell what's where and what's going to move and how, you'll crash into a lot of things and hurt yourself or the people around you.”

Wally nodded solemnly, before turning to hear Barry's call. With a last wave to his aunt and Joan, he followed Jay out to the course.

* * *

The course Barry had set up was deceptively easy. He'd used the poles that he suspected Bruce had left specifically to help with training, like he had with the balls, and created a very simple hurdles course. There was a small wall to jump over first. It was brick, and set up wide at the corner. About three or four kilometers away. Then there were ten tires to step through. About five kilometers away from the tires were three large poles to wind around. The poles were spaced a kilometer apart each. Finally, Barry had set up a narrow gate about two kilometers away made up by two small fence-like structures that you had to move through before repeating the course. The course was widely spaced, with spaces between everything and probably about ten kilometers between the last obstacle and the first wall. Plenty of room to move and play. It was made up in a circular shape, like a circuit.

“Alright, start of walking through the course,” said Jay, resuming his role as gym teacher, “Go slow and steady, get a feel for it, even if it feels silly. Once you're comfortable, speed up and start running. Just keep going until you can't get any faster.”

“It's going to get pretty boring by the time you get there, but Jay and I are going to time you and measure your speed to get an idea of what we're dealing with,” said Barry with a nod, “So don't be surprised if the changes don't come too soon.”

Wally just nodded hesitantly, before he jumped over the small brick wall, barely a foot high. Then he was stepping through the four tires, going slowly and getting a feel for stretching his legs as he hopped. The poles were easy to wind through, and he strolled through them before crossing the narrow wall, which was actually a bit wider than Barry had intended as Wally went through it with ease.

He repeated the process three times, each time getting a little more confident as he slipped through. Finally he called out, “I'm going to start running through it!”

“Go ahead,” replied Jay, his sensor out as he headed to the narrow wall escape and stood, ready to take readings of Wally's speed. Reluctantly, Barry followed and glanced over at the sensor's screen.

Wally began to run, slow still. It was just a jog really, an average, normal jog as he huffed through the course, looking for all the world as bored as Barry felt. After he clocked through the wall, his speed barely clocking nine km/h. However, that began to change as he gradually picked up speed. By the fourth run through the course, he was running at twenty km/h and barely breaking a sweat. This was the first time Barry had gotten a chance to see Wally actually moving, actually picking up speed. The dodge-ball game wasn't like this slow, tandem dance that was picking up tempo. It was too sudden and jerky and Wally had hardly been going at a fast, running pace. This was running in all it's grace. Like ballet. 

He got faster still. Barry's eyes had to adjust as the kid started to slowly blur. By the eleventh run through the course, he was at 156.7 km/h. And still gaining in speed. Barry watched, as the kid went into a red, kinetic blur that was circling now, a small laugh tinkling through the air, barely heard at the speed Wally was moving, but enough for Jay to chuckle beside him, and Barry to crack a grin. He was at his twenty-fifth run through the course, and the speed he was touching was almost five hundred km/h. And still gaining.

“Haven't seen the kid go this fast,” murmured Jay, as he glanced at the sensor. If Wally kept going at the pace he was going, he could easily pass the sensor's measly limit of a thousand kilometres per hour. They may have to break out the sensor for measuring air-plane speeds that Bruce probably left lying around somewhere. Probably to hook up the results to the Bat-Cave.

“He's something alright,” said Barry, as Wally reached nine hundred kilometres per hour by his fiftieth run through, the sound of the kid running through the air filling Barry's ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Iris and Joan standing and watching, their mouths open and grinning wide. It was really something alright, to see the kid at work. It wasn't a real run by no matter, but it was  _fast._  And it was proof. Proof of something they'd only ever seen hints of. Proof that the one day of seeing Wally speed through their house was real.

“Keep your eye on the kid,” said Jay softly, “If he keeps letting go like this, he may touch sound.”

And Barry watched, eyes hungry as he stared at Wally, just making out the kid's delighted expression as he weaved through the barriers and obstacles, light on his feet like Hermes himself. The red hair was whipping around Wally's face, as the wind current he was creating whipped by them, probably reaching Iris and Joan and blowing a cool breeze. There was a light funnel of air dancing above the kid.

But sound barrier. 

He was just touching about 984 kilometers per hour, twice as fast as his first time running, but not enough to break sound. He had started to hover at that speed. Probably as stretched as he was for now. He'd need practice with speed. But Barry found himself unable to care. Because this was good. This was  _more_ than good. This was awe-inspiring all on it's own. And Barry was content to just watch.

* * *

Hal felt like a real jack-ass when he arrived. At first, he hadn't expected what he saw, really. He'd been stunned as he flew over Washington state, and came to the address Batman had told him. The first thing he saw was a red blur, running in circles in the middle of an abandoned airstrip. He'd assumed it was Barry, and started to soar down, letting the ring lead. Then he'd actually seen Barry.

And  _holy fuck_  that wasn't Barry running.

There was the kid,  _running._  Like  _really_ running, but not real at the same time. He was just cycling through some weird course Barry had set up. Jay was moving some tires, rolling them in and trying to mess the kid up. But that little red blur kept at it. Hal could only stand there, breath caught in his throat as he watched him move, dancing and the sound of laughter just tinkling through his ears. His throat stuck, and he couldn't help but stare. It was beautiful. Like the first time he'd ever flown in a plane. Mesmerizing.

 _“Green Lantern- Back-up required! Have you got Flash yet?!_ _Why is his comm off?_ _”_ came the annoying drawl of one Superman himself.

Right.

He wasn't here to observe.

Hal dove into the situation, easily adding his own ring's light to the obstacle course to signal his entry in. He created a few poles, and the kid winded through them, before suddenly realizing what they were. As if on cue, he wheeled off his circular course, and Hal had to change the poles into a hand to pluck the kid out of the air before he crashed into something. He winced at sudden bang into the hand, more for the kid's sake than himself. 

“Uncle Hal?!” cried Wally, staring at the man, looking dazed, “What- Green Lantern- What?!”

“Hey kiddo,” said Hal with a wink, as he landed on his feet, bringing Wally down.

“What- Why are you here Hal? In costume?” asked Barry, uncertain as he sped over, “And that was dangerous just tossing in like that.”

“Are you going to join us?!” asked Wally, looking bright and cheerful.

“Sorry, no can do kid,” said Hal, glancing at Barry. The Flash's face fell, as he realized why Hal was here.

“A mission? Seriously?! I had the day off!” said Flash, looking ticked off.

“It's in Star, you and I are the closest to respond. Ultra Humanite, Metallo, Volcana and Killer Frost are robbing a museum of a large diamond or something. John just took out a chunk of heroes for an off-world mission, so we're closest and fastest to respond. Superman's already on site, Green Arrow's trying to sneak away from a board meeting as we speak,” said Hal apologetically, “And Batman's pissed your comm was off. I told him I'd get you.”

“I turned it off for a reason,” growled Flash.

“You're leaving?” asked Wally, face falling in his little red Flash costume.

“You're making a mini-Flash?” asked Hal, indicating the costume, but was ignored as Flash bent over his young nephew and sighed.

“I got to head out kiddo,” said Flash with a grimace, “But I'll be back soon and then we'll run together for real. Be good for Jay, okay?”

“Kay,” said Wally, shrugging and failing to hide the disappointment on his face.

“C'mon Barry,” said Hal, and the two headed to the zetas.

The last thing Flash saw was his nephew's disappointment expression before he was beamed away.  


	6. Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry fights Killer Frost, Hal fights Volcana, Green Arrow has an opinion, and Wally finally runs.

By the time Barry and Hal arrived in Star City, Green Arrow and Speedy were already on scene. Superman and Metallo were pounding into each other, striking furiously in the air, pouncing and jumping. The clangs and bashes of their battle rang through the museum. A fire was roaring on one side of the museum. Volcana. An icicle whizzed past Hal- Killer Frost- only to be met by a fiery arrow that melted the ice on impact, the slight explosion sending small chunks of ice flying around the museum hall. 

Speedy.

Barry whipped his head around to see the teen hanging on the balcony area of the museum, taking shots as fast as Ollie, if not faster. His tongue was poking out between his lips, a strange delight strumming through the kid despite the tenseness of the situation. Born for this life. Someday that might be Wally. 

"Are you going to stand there or actually help?!" yelled Ollie from across the room, diving out of the way as the Ultra-Humanite fired a laser-gun at the archer.

An arrow flew at the monkey-ape-genius, exploding into polyurethane foam but unfortunately missing it's target. Hal snorted from beside him and said, "Can't even handle the monkey?"

"For your information, I am a primate of superior intellect to you, monkey," sneered Ultra-Humanite, before firing his laser at Hal. Yellow light. Stupid genius monkey. He had no time to enjoy blasting Hal backwards though, because Speedy was firing a net-arrow at the ape, forcing him to jump backwards into Ollie's electro-shock arrow. His laser-gun sliced it in half before it struck true, but just barely.

"Well, what do we have here?" came a grating, high-pitched voice, like nails on a board.

"Heroes," snarled a deeper, aggressive voice, "Pathetic ones at that."

"Ladies," said Barry, turning Killer Frost and Volcana, both carrying bags of jewels in their hands. Apparently this was an attempted robbery of a jewel collection.

"I got Frosty," said Barry, already moving quickly, winding his fist back to smash through Frost's ice and relieve some of his anger from being torn away from Wally.

She was quick, however, and used her ice to lift herself above the speedster, before vaulting backwards in a perfect flip, her little blue dress apparently not at all restrictive of her movements. Volcana was covering Frost. Apparently this team-up of lam-os had actual coordination. Volcana let loose a large flame ball towards Barry, but Hal was quicker, erecting a green wall between the flame and Barry.

"Honey, it's rude to cut in a dance," said Hal cheerfully, "Why don't you and I get cozy instead?"

"I know your type," said Volcana, easily gliding out of Hal's way as he spun a lasso around and tried to whip it at the woman, "The minute things start to warm up, you run." She accentuated this idea with a whip of flames, dicing around Hal and just barely missing his head.

"I'm more of a hands on kind of guy" said Hal with a chuckle, as his ring formed a large green hand that swiped out at Volcana, trying to capture her in his hand.

"Now you're just trifling with my affection," said Volcana with a snarl, furious flames darting along the walls, striking sharp and true. Hal flew backwards.

"Now we're talking," said Hal with a smirk, "Maybe I am ready to get serious."

His light shifted into two missiles, flying sharply at Volcana. She dodged the first, but the second hit it's mark, knocking the fiery villainess backwards. She growled, dazed and probably concussed as she stood up. Hal himself only had a few singes on his suit, and a nasty burn developing on his shoulder. All in all, a pretty good day.

"Thanks a lot babe," said Hal with a wink, before locked the fiery villainess in a bubble, "I had a great time, but commitment's not really my thing. Maybe jail will be your speed, with your reputation, I think it's a life long one for you."

Volcana screamed in fury.

Over on the other side of the room, Barry was far more stoic and serious than usual. Normally, he, Hal and Ollie together meant they were making horrible jokes, cracking puns, but Barry's mood was off. He wasn't speeding between battles to help out or cover his friends, while chuckling about something Ollie said, or making a witty comment (bad pun) about Hal's situation. Instead, he was solely focused on Frost, and taking her down as quick as possible. It helped that he had a regular ice villain to deal with himself.

"You really need to freeze!" snarled Killer Frost, as she used both her hands to direct a blast of ice at Barry, but he was moving fast, faster than necessary and ducked below the ice blast before vibrating his molecules into it, causing the ice to break and shards to fly backwards at Frost.

"With red spandex like that you'd think you'd be a little more cheerful," muttered Frost, using her ice to lift her up into the air and flip upwards. "Oh well, it'll match your blood."

With that, shards of ice flew at Barry, but he pummeled through them with his fists, relieved to be getting some of the anger and frustration with his situation off. The more ice Frost tossed at him, the greater excuse he had to pummel and break things and vibrate out his anger.

"Whoa Flash! That shard almost hit Speedy! What the hell are you doing man?" yelled Ollie from somewhere in the distance, barely registering in the Flash's mind.

Hit Speedy.

Oh.

Crap.

Barry took a deep breath, and calmed down. It was a shitty situation, but he was acting like a crazy person. He needed to reign his temper in and just relax. He owed it to Iris and Wally to be the best Flash he could be. Besides, he knew he had his obligations, and his duty came first. He knew this. It just sucked. 

Slowing himself down a bit, Barry was now able to take in the skid marks and the ice flying everywhere. He'd trashed this place. So much for minimizing damages before the anniversary event. He shook his head, and moved quickly but effortlessly now, not letting Frost toy with him. She'd taken the upper hand, allowing his frustration to let her guide the fight. Rookie mistake. He could practically hear Batman scoffing at him in that deep tone the man used specially for idiots and Superman.

With that in mind, Barry whirred, finishing his fight fast as he broke her platform. The ice villainess flipped, trying to regain her balance and aim her ice shards, but Speedy was faster. His net-arrow struck true, tripping her in the air, and allowing Barry to wrestle her down, before one quick jab at a pressure point in her throat and she was out like a light.

He turned to see Ollie already arresting Ultra-Humanite, and Superman had returned with Metallo, jewels in one hand, the villain in the other. Judging from the Kryptonian's scowl, he was not impressed at the state Barry's little stress-reliever had left the museum in. Damn it.

* * *

The fight had taken all of an hour. Not a big deal. It was the aftermath that Barry was struggling with. Superman forced Barry to stay and see the cops off, as well as help with clean up. While Hal had tried to talk the alien down, Superman was not pleased. And Barry knew he deserved it. He  _had_  mucked things up. This was why he didn't let his temper get the best of him. Clean up had really only taken a half hour with his speed, and then he'd gotten to pig out at the museum cafeteria. But the reporters were here and he had to face them. And they just didn't leave. Not to mention he still had to debrief with Superman, J'onn or Batman at the Watchtower. 

"So, when were you going to tell me about your kid?" asked Green Arrow from beside Flash, as he watched the cops loading the metas into their van. Inhibitor collars were placed on each of them.

"How- What- What are you-

"Oh shut up Flash," said Green Arrow with a snort, "GL told me and Dinah."

Flash turned his glare to Hal, who raised his hands in a mock surrender motion as he replied, "Hey! Don't give me that look! You told the League, and I know Superman was talking about it with Batman and that the Hawks overheard, so I thought it was only fair that GA heard it from me or you rather than the Hawks."

"Shayera and Katar know?" gaped Flash, wondering what happened to privacy.

"Yep, they were talking with Superman about it," said Hal apologetically, "So does John by the way. I told him too."

"So, who doesn't know?" asked Flash, frustrated again. Where did Killer Frost go when he needed her?

"I didn't," said an annoyed Speedy, earning the attention of the three men to the scowling fifteen-year old staring at his mentor, "Since when does the Flash have a kid? Is he going to become his partner?"

"He's not my kid," said the Flash exasperatedly, "He's just  _a_  kid, with super-speed, who  _happens_  to be related to me."

"So he's your kid," said an unimpressed Speedy, before turning to Green Arrow and asking angrily, "When were you going to tell me?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell! And I wasn't even supposed to know!" said the archer defensively.

"I didn't tell them anything big," admitted Hal, ignoring the scowling teenager and flustered mentor, "Just that he's your new partner-in-training."

"So he is your partner," said Speedy flippantly, though a hint of curiosity bordering on his tone, "What's he like?"

"Yeah, what's he like?" asked Ollie eagerly, earning an eye-roll from Hal and Speedy.

"He's my nephew, who replicated my situation, and got my powers," said Flash quietly, after glancing around to make sure nobody was paying attention. Somehow, they'd left Superman to crowd control, as he was swarmed with reporters. The rest of them were merely standing in the background, hanger-ons that waved politely and let people take their photos.

"So he's a nerd?" asked Speedy bluntly, and Ollie seemed less enthused as well. Idiots. Okay that was unfair. Just Ollie then. 

"He's smart," corrected Barry, while Hal snorted and said, "Twice as smart as Arrow at least."

"Ten times smarter than you then," replied Green Arrow with a snort, "You're a bit dim for a Lantern."

"That sounds like Barry!" said Hal accusingly, "Bad puns are Barry's thing!"

"It's a great pun!" argued Ollie, "It's a fabulous pun! My puns kick your puns asses!"

"It's a shitty pun," deadpanned Speedy, "Puns are lame."

"My puns aren't that bad," defended Barry halfheartedly, wondering how mad Superman would be if he slipped away.

"Your puns are shittier than Arrow's, and that says a lot Flash," said Hal with a shake of his head.

"And they built a museum for him," agreed Green Arrow. Great. They had found a target to occupy their attention.  _Him_.

"So, when's your partner hitting the streets?" asked Speedy, absolutely failing at maintaining a nonchalant interest.

"Not until next year," said Flash seriously, "He's got a lot to work on."

"But the kid was running when I saw him!" said Hal curiously, earning Ollie's concern as well.

"It's a lot more than just running," said Flash awkwardly as he realized all three men were focused on him, "It's about control. He's a metahuman kid."

"So?" asked Speedy, apparently unconcerned.

"It means that his body's just adjusting to his new powers," explained Flash gently, "It's hard, dealing with speed. And his situation is unique to speedsters. Whereas me and the old Flash were more internally-focused speedsters, his speed is more externally focused."

"What the hell does that mean?" said Ollie with a simple frown.

"Well, I can regulate my speed, which is why changing speeds from mach 1 to zero isn't an issue. My body's instantaneous, and I can control everything about it. I can sense the speeds around me, but it took a long time, and lots of concentration," explained Barry quietly, "It's how I vibrate through things. First I figure out the speed around me, and then I vibrate. His speed is the opposite. He can sense the speeds around him with ease, but his own internal function-ability is compromised. He can't regulate his own speeds, which makes functioning daily hard. For now, it's mostly a mental issue where his mind is too fast for his body, but as his body trains, well, it could get worse. Ideally, it could get better, but chances are it could also get worse. If he's not careful, the speed will take over while he's at school or worse."

"Whoa," said Hal, eyes wide, making his mask slits go large and white, "So what are you planning for the school situation?  _Home_ -school?"

"If only it were that simple," said Flash quietly, "But now's not the place or time to talk."

"Y'know," said Ollie thoughtfully, "He's probably overwhelmed with the powers and responsibility. It might be a good idea to introduce him to some other heroes besides Hal so that he can get some perspective on it. Why don't you bring him around? Canary could probably be a big help in this sort of thing. After all, she was a teenager when she got her powers and she had trouble figuring it out as well. And Speedy could use some more hero friends."

"I don't need you to make me play-dates!" growled Speedy, though it wasn't as harsh as it could have been.

"That was almost smart," said Hal in shock, "Did you get hit too hard by the monkey?"

"Oh shut up," said Ollie with a light punch to the man, "Flash's situation reminded me of my pretty bird's story. I can be sensitive."

"What has the world come to?! First Flash gets a chain and ball around his dick and now you're going the same way," said Hal in mock horror, before slinging an arm around Speedy, "Stick with me kid, and you'll never have to worry about being tied down for life!"

"Asshole," said Green Arrow as Flash shook his head, "Anyways, bring the kid around someday. Let me know in advance so I can make my chilli for him!"

"Don't do it. I forbid the Flash from bringing the kid around you. Ever," said Hal flatly, while Ollie started to splutter and Speedy and Flash snickered at the outraged hero.

* * *

By the time the crowd was satisfied, and the Flash had given his report to the Watchtower and a quick media interview, four hours had passed. This was why even simple missions grated on the Flash's nerves. They just took too  _long_ , and being a speedster made that time feel amplified. Normal situations meant Barry could deal with it. But today was not a normal day.

As he was leaving the station, he noticed Black Canary in the sparring room, having just gotten back from a meeting with the U.N about announcing new League memberships at the anniversary this year. They had already approached the android, Red Tornado, Captain Marvel, and old Doctor Fate for memberships, with the former two agreeing immediately, and Fate agreeing to a part-time membership due to his seniority.

Black Canary turned in surprise when she saw the Flash approach her. He looked nervous, bouncing on his heels, and apparently waiting for her to finish pounding the crap out of the training dummies. By the time she was done, she turned to the Flash, who now looked annoyed but still patient. That was new though. She had thought the Flash could never get annoyed. There was a reason Ollie and Hal kept calling him Saint Barry.

"Flash," said Black Canary coolly, as she moved to the bench to grab a drink of water, brushing back a few blonde hairs from her forehead, "Can I help you?"

"Er- Yeah," said Flash, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I- um, I have this new sidekick- partner- kid- and er, Ollie said you might be able to- talk- chat- speak with him, and me, y'know, about- stuff. Like being a metakid."

Dinah raised her dark eyebrows in surprise, blue eyes wide at the suggestion. Honestly, she had never expected Ollie to suggest something like that. She made a mental note to reward him for being thoughtful, not realizing the small smile on her face at Ollie's sweet moment of the week.

"Did he really?" asked Dinah with a laugh, "And hear I was sure he was only paying attention to avoid being yelled at. But yeah, I wouldn't mind talking to him about it. I know what it's like being a meta and growing up surrounded by heroes. Actually, I think it helped, having a large community to rely on. When I was frustrated and my mom was busy being Black Canary, I had people to go to. Not to mention I always had someone to teach me some fancy new skill that saved my ass several times."

"So you think maybe I should think about introducing the kid to new people?" asked Barry curiously, "I mean, he's got Hal and me, but we do get paired up together quite a bit for missions, and sometimes we're not around for days. And there's the Garricks, and they're great with the kid. But is that enough?"

"I don't doubt you're great with the kid, but Hal's a little- blunt," said Dinah with a grimace, thinking of the other man and his behavior with Roy, "He's a good person to have in the kid's corner, but maybe not the best person to relate to his situation. The Garricks will be great for the support, but ultimately, their retired and a metakid needs a lot of attention and people to talk to. Otherwise, well, you know the statistics better than I do of the number of metakids that have taken to the streets. I think we're at seventy-percent of metakids commit crimes? I mean, it's not like we have a large community of them, and most have crime in their family's, but that's still a terrible number considering the League's presence. I'd be more than happy to talk with the kid though. Have you thought about introducing the boy to the League?"

"A little," admitted Barry, "Well- no, not really. Mostly in the last four hours since Green Arrow mentioned it."

"It's not a bad idea," said Dinah with a nod. "But that's up to you, really. It can be a lot just dealing with the powers."

"I- I have to go," said Barry, not as reluctantly as Dinah would have thought, "But- can we continue this conversation? I mean- I honestly don't know what I'm doing some days. Jay's the one running most of the training because I have my hands full with the League and Central right now. I mean, I need to talk to Iris about it, but I have no idea how to raise a meta kid."

"I'm here for you, whatever you need Barry," said Dinah, smiling at the man and dropping the hero name for their personal conversation, "What are you and Iris doing on Friday?"

"We  _should_  be at home," said Barry, a little bitterly. "But with work and all the preparations, I can't be sure."

"Well, whatever the case, if you have time, come by Star," said Dinah with a nod, "If you want to bring the kid or not is your choice, but I'll tell Ollie we're doing dinner and we can talk some more."

"Really?" asked Barry, looking relieved from behind the red cowl, "That would be great Dinah! Thank you!"

"It's my pleasure," said Dinah honestly, "Now, don't you have somewhere to be? You're going to be late."

"Right! Thanks Dinah!" called the Flash, before he zipped away to the zeta tubes, and beamed away.

* * *

After the Flash left, Jay noticed a considerable drop in Wally's mood. His speed decreased by about a hundred kilometers, and he was less enthusiastic about going through the motions. The boy made more mistakes than usual, even though Jay knew he was able to feel the molecules vibrating around him of even the inanimate objects. And honestly, Jay didn't blame the kid.

It was a buzz-kill that Barry had to go so soon, and who knew when he'd be back? It didn't help that this was one of the first times Wally had ever had Barry's hero duties interrupt their time together. It was just poor timing on every part. Barry's life was filled with commitments he couldn't ignore, and Wally had been an unplanned surprise. It wasn't like Barry didn't adore his nephew, but he wasn't in a position to take time off. Not when all hands were needed on deck. And sometimes, you had to sacrifice family for the world.

Lord knows how many anniversaries, birthdays and dates Jay had missed over the years. Sometimes he'd disappear for a month or two at a time with no warning for Joan. His wife was a good one. She'd taken it in stride, being strong for them and hemming and hawing to the neighbors and work. But that was the deciding factor of whether to take the risk and have a kid. With no support for the two of them, they had decided it was better not to take such a huge responsibility, not when Jay's life was so uncertain. At least Barry had himself and Joan to help Iris and Wally through this.

And Iris was no slouch herself. She was the one who noticed her nephew's disappointment, and she'd been the one to fix it. Suddenly Iris was beside him, cheering loudly and proudly for Wally. They'd taken a break for lunch after Barry left, gorging and eating slowly, hoping to delay the process and let Barry return. But that wasn't the case. So about an hour after lunch, and a half-hour of working through mental exercises, Iris was by their side. Taking Barry's place until he could fulfill it. And Jay had never been prouder.

What Iris lacked in speed, she made up for in heart. Their obstacle course continues, as Jay moved the objects around. Iris would walk through the obstacle, distracting Wally and forcing him to learn how to avoid civilians. It was a little advanced, moving targets, but Wally took to it like a monkey did climbing. He really was something else. Iris even managed to drag Joan away from her knitting or sewing or whatever project it was, and get the older woman to walk the opposite way in the course.

Wally got faster.

He became a blur, dancing around his aunt and Joan. He was delighted, that laughter returning to the air. He was born for this. The boy would run around them, letting the currents from the air whip their hair, sometimes causing Iris's skirt to fly, but the two were happy. Joan's sun hat flew a few feet away, but Wally was catching it and placing it on her head before repeating the motion. He was thriving between the woman.

While he moved, Jay watched curiously. The kid had to decelerate to slow down, lest he'd crash into anything. He did crash once into the ground, resulting in a nasty scrape on his elbow, but no fractures or broken bones. The bruise was fading quickly, but slowly for a speedster. It was like Jay had predicted. He had zero control over his internal functions beyond matching it to Joan and Iris. While that bruise would have taken Barry a few minutes to get over, or himself an hour at most with his age, it took Wally three hours.

Just in time for Barry to return.

"Kid!" called Barry, racing out to grab his nephew in a tight hug, "I'm back! How'd you do?!"

"Itwaso _so_ greatUncleB! AuntieIandGrandmaJoan _raced_ withme! Ilappedthemat _housan_ dtimes! Literally!"

"Moving bodies already?" asked an astonished Barry, glancing at Jay for confirmation.

"He's talented," beamed Jay.

"Can- Can we run now?!" asked Wally, finally managing to slow his rate to match Barry and Jay's relaxed version of speed-talk. But it still took too long.

"You sure you up for it?" asked Jay with a slight frown. He had worked the kid pretty hard today, a run might be stretching things.

"I'm _positive_!" beamed Wally, but the plea evident in those green eyes of his.

"You can't run anywhere far from here without eye covers," said Barry sternly, "You'll go blind if anything hits you while you run at that speed."

"I'll put the mask-y stuff back in if we can just run," begged Wally.

"I got a better idea," said Jay, whipping into the radio shack and returning with a pair of goggles, "This'll do."

"Perfect," said Barry, as Wally tugged on the large, clunky goggles that were plastic, transparent and had a stupid green strap that clashed terribly with the red costume.

"Alright son, your call," said Jay, turning to Barry, "Where are we taking the kid?"

Barry grinned before turning to Wally and asking, "Ever wanted to visit a mountain range?"

"Yes!" gaped Wally, as Barry whizzed away and then returned in a second. The gates to the airport had opened.

Iris and Joan, both resting now in their chairs, turned to the scene, gaping and grinning as they realized what was occurring. Wally was buzzing with excitement, and Barry gave Iris a smile, pausing long enough for her to see his wave, and for Iris to give him a watery smile herself, before blowing both of them a kiss.

"Let's go to the mountains," said Barry, turning to the two others.

* * *

The run was like nothing Barry had ever experienced before. He'd ran with Jay a few times before, but it was quiet, contemplative. A peaceful union. This was different. Wally was between himself and Jay, the tiny red streak racing a little bit behind them as Barry directed the path. He'd mapped it out on his way here in his head. Barry's cowl had an in-built compass, so he always knew which was North and which way was West.

This was by no means as fast as any of the speedsters could run, but the distance wasn't that far. They were all too tired from their days to go above the seven hundred kilometer mark. The world around them was just an undefined blur. They ducked around the trees, the currents the created causing some leaves to be torn off and whip around behind them. Then they were heading out to an open, lonely highway. They had to dodge the occasional car, which was really just a minor blip in their sensory pathway. Wally was a little thrown the first few times a car came by, and Barry and Jay had to pull Wally out of the way, but by the time they were half-way through the run, Wally had figured it out on his own.

They were leaving a large air current with their combined force, causing winds to whip through the forest, startling birds, animals and humans alike. People blinked and would gossip for years to come about the red blurs they saw, claiming it was the Flash. They'd chalk it up to the Flash moving so fast that they were seeing him lap himself, for some ridiculous, urban myth. But right now, it didn't matter. Because three were moving as one, united in a sense of purpose, and yet weightlessness. This was freedom. This was the thing that connected them from their very cores.

And they were laughing.

It was completely infectious, as Barry let the laughs rip from his throat. Celebrating a sense of unity, a sense of holiness that only could be attained through speed. Celebrating the fact that he wasn't alone in this special world only he could access. He heard Jay's deep chuckle beside him, and the high-pitched giggles of his nephew. They were running together. And it was amazing. The only thing in the blurs of colors were Jay and Wally, both beside him. Both moving as superfluously as he did, cutting through the air, feet pounding on the asphalt, on the grass, then on asphalt again. They were winding through trees, chasing each other in a perfect line. It was euphoria.

Bliss.

Barry saw their location first, and stopped immediately. Wally wasn't that lucky, and he sped forward a few steps, before crashing to the ground. Barry was by his side in seconds, Jay already hovering over the younger boy.

He had fallen over a rock, about the size of a helmet, and split open his lip and lower leg. Barry saw the blood slipping through the costume and immediately panicked.

"Are you okay?" gasped Barry, but Wally brushed him aside.

Barry felt a little hurt, and then he saw Wally's face. The boy's jaw was dropped, staring with wide eyes and shock at the world before him. Barry turned, and placed a hand on Wally's shoulder as he sat down beside the fallen boy. Jay was already seated, holding Wally's hand.

Before them was grey stone, with pine trees dotting along the rocky edges. At the immediate front was a river that was a blue-grey that matched Barry's eyes. The sun was still in the air, illuminating the white-capped peaks of the mountains before them, that rose to the heavens. The air was warm, and a slight breeze moved across their faces. It was majestic, silent and peaceful. Calming after their run.

Barry sat there with Jay and Wally in silence for a long time, admiring the view. It was by no means the most fabulous site he'd ever seen, considering his experience with international travel and seeing space itself on a weekly basis, but it was theirs. A common link. A common memory. Wally slid his head onto Jay's shoulder, reaching out to grab Barry's hand in his tiny one. Barry beamed at his nephew, and then let himself close his eyes, and just be.

Bliss.

"Time to go," said Jay, the first to return to reality, "Joan and Iris are waiting for us."

"We forgot the camera," said Wally suddenly, "How are Auntie Iris and Grandma Joan going to see this place? We should have brought them!"

"It's okay," said Barry firmly, still riding on that sense of beauty and wonder, "We'll take something back for them. A souvenir."

Wally glanced curiously at Barry, and then at Jay, before cautiously asking, "What do we take?"

"Whatever you want," said Barry encouragingly, "Take anything. What do you want to remember most?"

To Barry's surprise, and slight displeasure, Wally picked up the rock he'd tripped on. Apparently it was something to remember.

"Because it was what stopped me," explained Wally, "I was so caught up in running, and then you stopped so I got confused and then I tripped on this because I wasn't paying attention. And it reminds me of both running and stopping. Is that okay?"

"It's perfect," said Barry, ruffling the red hair, "It's perfect."

That night, after they got home, Barry brought out a large box and helped Wally place the rock, that he'd explained to Iris and Joan, and the goggles into the box. Memories. He tucked his nephew in after checking that his wounds had healed. Thankfully they were only flesh wounds. He sat at his nephew's bedside for a long time. The rock had suddenly grown on him. Because it was exactly that. A memory of running and stopping.

* * *

That night, after their run, Barry spoke with Iris. He told her everything he'd talked to Dinah about, and the Friday night dinner offer. He also mentioned what he and Jay were hypothesizing, and what it could mean for Wally. Iris listened, sweet and open and loving the entire time. Then, after what felt like an eternity of him talking, she talked.

"I think meeting with Dinah would be a good thing," said Iris slowly, "I don't know much about Speedy beyond a few interviews of his I've seen, but he seems responsible and mature. But, are you sure he'll be okay spending time with Wally?"

"He hangs out with Robin," countered Barry, "What could be so different?"

"He and Robin spend time together as heroes, and you even said it wasn't often since Oliver and Batman don't like each other," pointed out Iris, "Besides, we don't know what his relationship with Robin is like. And at the end of the day, Speedy is a teenager, and Wally is only twelve. Are you sure he'll be up to entertaining a twelve-year-old on his Friday night?"

"He seemed curious enough about Wally," said Barry stubbornly, "And Ollie can be annoying, sure, but Speedy's a good kid."

"I suppose it wouldn't be too bad then," said Iris with a nod, a small smile on her lips, "And I think he'd be happy to meet more heroes. Who else do you want to introduce to him?"

"I'm not sure, Superman maybe?" asked Barry wildly.

"Superman?" asked Iris, a little amused.

"Well, c'mon, it's Superman. What kid doesn't want to meet Superman?" asked Barry.

"I'm not saying no," said Iris, "But I thought the point was to get him used to heroes he'd see often. What about Ralph and Sue? They're in Brazil right now, but I bet they'd love to meet Wally as Elongated Man and his wife, and we see them whenever they're in town."

"Hal wants to introduce him to John Stewart," added Barry, "Since the two Lanterns hang out often, and Hal thinks John could use a larger social life."

"So Ralph and John then?" asked Iris with a nod.

"I guess for now we can work with those two," said Barry, "Well, depending on how well Friday goes."

"Get some sleep, you have work tomorrow and the later you get in, the later you'll be out," said Iris gently, and then they turned off the lamp and went to sleep.

That night, Barry dreamed of running, laughter and unity.


	7. Request Fics: Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fills for the request fics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first things first. The story resumes on Wednesday~! 
> 
> Second, er, well, I have a Tumblr account now, so feel free to send me requests or questions about the plot there. 
> 
> Link: http://sunny-donna.tumblr. com/
> 
>  
> 
> Third, Wally of the Bat-Clan will return much later (after a week) because unlike Enough, I was entirely devoted to writing the request fics over the actual plot, whereas with Enough I got so caught up in plot that I forgot the request fics. 
> 
> Furthermore, all requests with Robin, Batman and Roy were purposely shoved off for a different time because, well, I don't really want to describe them until I introduce them to the main plot and reference how they met and stuff. Be as it were, I had fun with this, and I hope you guys enjoy the stories!

**Requested by GodComplex:**

It was the anniversary of that day. The whole house was silent, thinking about what it meant. Barry had requested a sick leave from the League to avoid the festivities that preceded the day. Because two days after the League anniversary, things would be morose at home.

"We can't just let him simmer in it," said Hal firmly, "He's got every right to be upset, but that doesn't change the fact that he can't keep dwelling on it."

"You know the word dwell?" asked Oliver, looking stunned.

"Fuck you," said Hal easily, but Barry ignored them both as he ate his burger in the Watchtower cafeteria.

"Look, I'm not the expert with horrible anniversaries," said Oliver seriously, "But no matter what you do, the kid is going to be thinking about it. So don't try and distract him."

"I know that," said Barry with a sigh, "I just- He deserves better."

"Everyone deserves something," said Hal wisely, "But you don't always get it."

"Seriously, who the fuck is this?" asked Oliver, staring at Hal again.

"Fuck you twice," said Hal, glaring at Ollie through his mask.

"If you two are quite done," said Barry with a raised eyebrow, "What should I do? He didn't even talk about it after the incident last year. Just shut everyone out."

"He likes to run," said Hal with a shrug, "Take him running. Whenever I think about the worst stuff in life, I fly."

"Yeah," said Barry with a nod, "Running shouldn't be too bad. Where do we go?"

"Just run behind a cloud or something. The point is to run," said Ollie, before suddenly asking, "Can you run with clouds, or is that too slow for a speedster?"

"It's too slow," said Hal automatically.

"Actually," said Barry with a thoughtful look, "If you factor in the land and water masses to be crossed, it might not be that slow. But the clouds are a stupid idea, no offence Ollie. What about the sun? We could plot the sun's path across the world."

"The kid mastered water-running?" asked Hal in surprise.

"You're such a sap," said Ollie with a dropped jaw, "God, no wonder Iris likes you. Teach me how to be a sap."

"Still getting the hang of it," said Barry with a shrug, ignoring Ollie completely, "But if I'm with him, it shouldn't be too bad, right? He can swim now."

"I'll come with you," said Hal immediately, "I can create a path, and fly overhead. Wally won't drown that way and we won't need the Atlanteans on watch for him."

"Sounds like a plan then," said Oliver with a nod, "You could always swing by Star if you'd like some food."

"Are you paying?" asked Hal eagerly.

"Pay for yourself, Jordan," said Ollie brusquely, "I'm feeding the kid and Barry."

"Ass-hood," said Jordan, and the two returned to their happy bickering while Barry started to map out the route.

* * *

It was due to a mid-afternoon lunch conversation that Wally found himself dressed in costume and on his way to god knows where. All he really wanted to do was stay in his room today. It wasn't healthy. Jay had tried to talk him out being upset by training until Wally couldn't feel his arms anymore. Robin had offered to invite him to Gotham, despite not knowing the entire details of Wally's sudden bout of depression. He was just too miserable to care about their worry.

It was, after all, a year since that day.

"So where are we going then?" asked Wally uneasily, staring at Hal and Barry, both looking too chipper for the early evening run they were partaking in.

"For a run around the world," said Barry with a chuckle, "Ready?"

He'd already raced around the world. Twice. Once on his birthday, with the older speedsters. The second time was after his debut when school ended, and they'd taken a different route. The world was too large to map in a day. Or two. Or even three.

"Where to?" asked Wally curiously. He liked seeing the world, it was a distraction. It made him feel small and insignificant in a way only his parents had before, but different too. Like running, except instead of the world being small and useless, it was him. It had always been him.

"We're going to head North first," said Barry easily, "Up to Alaska. Icebergs are great to watch this time of the year. Then we're headed to Russia. From there we'll swing through Asia, down to the Gate of India, before running North to the Middle East, the Black Sea. Stop by the Berlin Wall in Germany, maybe head to Cardiff or Glasgow, and then run through to the Gulf of Mexico and then zeta home."

"Isn't that a bit much for an entire day?" asked Wally, eyes wide.

"It's a little much," agreed Hal, "But that's the point. We're going to get trashed and then Iris can massage our feet while we watch a movie."

"Don't let Iris hear you say that," said Barry with a chuckle.

"Shall we head out?" asked Hal firmly, grinning at Barry and Wally.

"Yeah," said Wally with a shaky nod, "Guess we should.

* * *

Alaska was beautiful. They'd stopped, despite Wally still having energy. The sun had started to set in Alaska, or maybe it was rising. Wally wasn't too sure what the time was in Alaska, were they behind or ahead of Central? He would have asked, but it was so serene and quiet.

The world was white. A blank slate. Ice went as far as Wally could see. He was getting better at ice running, though not at good at Uncle Barry who switched surfaces like it was nothing. But that didn't matter. Because the world was  _white_.

Except for the golden dust shimmering on the edges, lighting the alabaster icebergs up, to make them sparkle, gleam. The backdrop was a bright orange, fiery. Almost as though this was a battle-field, from a long time ago. The frozen ice statues were marble warriors, battalions. He could make out a hand in the ice block, trying to reach out, trying to escape the madness. Yet it was all so serene. The ground below him was solid. The metaphor was just that, metaphor. Or was he the metaphor?

It said a lot about his state of mind that he didn't think he was real today. Or at least, that his reality wasn't important.

A hand clapped to his shoulder.

"Shall we go?" asked Hal, looking concerned.

"Yeah," said Wally, tearing his eyes away from the battalions stretching from the ground, bathed in gold dust, with a bloody sky.

* * *

The next place they stopped, after running across the bloody cold waters of the Bering Strait and through Hal's path that he flew ahead to make, creating the world's largest glowing green bridge that mimicked the San Francisco Golden Gate. By the time they arrived somewhere in the middle of Russia, they stopped outside a farm.

It was a barren, pathetic farm. The sun was obviously rising here as farmers roused from their sleep to start tilling the field. They paid no mind to the three heroes perched on the hill above them, watching the sunlight splash over them. It was cloudy, probably going to rain today, so the sun hardly cracked over them much.

But they were so whimsical. Like the perfect American musical, or Fiddler on the Roof but the Russian edition, as they sang in Russian and rolled out their tools in a giant wheelbarrow. The darkness of the scene contrasted with their bright moods. It was gloomy, boring, but beautiful.

Hal and Barry were chatting as they watched the farmers, plotting the route. But Wally could only watch. The pathetic farm resembled skin with some kind of disease. The ground was smooth, a little bumpy, with wheat hairs rising from it. The grass was yellow, the wheat yellow. And the farmers like fleas running around, working away and being generally annoying and Wally found himself apathetic to their cause entirely.

It was strangely calming. To feel nothing. To think nothing. To just watch the farmers trickle like fleas between arm hairs of the Earth.

They were gone without a word.

* * *

If there was anything to be said about India, it was the grime. Even at the Gate of India, there was grime everywhere. The roads were dirty, the water was a blackish, grey-blue, probably from pollution. The buildings, though majestic and colonial, were stained at the ground, and as the light rose onto them, they looked like a leftover remnant of the empire that once stood.

People milled about. This was the first place bleeding with life that suddenly mattered because they were absolutely inconsequential. The Indians didn't notice them at all.

Wally was less interested in the sun illuminating the empire, the ocean, or the roads. He found the sunlight on the people more interesting. One dark-skinned man stood over his motorbike, preparing for deliveries. The sunlight light up his cheeks, displaying the gauntness, highlighting his grimy clothing, and yet, he took no notice of how unflattering he appeared. How unimportant to the sun. The sun didn't care that the man was ugly. Nobody did.

A beautiful man stood outside the Taj hotel, waiting for a rather plain woman. The woman was dressed in western clothing, the sun not really doing much for her round plump face, or her short figure, but not really diminishing her either as she yelled at the man.

He was her servant.

The sun absolutely emblazoned him. The gold light was the finest foundation on his dark skin, making him seem ethereal and godly. He wore merely a button down shirt as he loaded her car, his arms rippling as he lifted her suitcases, probably to take her to the airport. The man was shining. But he was just a driver in a poor country and completely unimportant to the history embedded here. The Taj hotel, the Gate of India, none of it affected him. He was a beautiful man that would never be more than a driver in life. No hand of fate had intervened. No science in the world could help him. He just was.

It was strange.

"What are you thinking kid?" asked Flash, looking curious, but otherwise rather blank as Hal returned with some street-side sandwiches that were spicy with chutney, and yet cool to eat with cucumber and tomato and cheese in the middle. Wally chewed and swallowed, his usual speed of disgusting, but thoughtful and unhurried.

"Nobody really matters much, do they?" asked Wally aloud, and the two adults traded worried looks over Wally's head as he watched the man drive the woman away.

"Why do you say that kid?" asked Barry, concerned.

"It just, doesn't," said Wally, unable to explain, "But nothing is really important."

"Not really kid," said Hal stoically, "But we still have to try, don't we?"

"Yeah," said Wally with a nod, "Yeah we do."

* * *

The Black Sea was far more beautiful than the Indian Ocean. It was glittery and shimmery and completely abandoned. Hal had made a little raft and they were seated in said raft, watching the sun reflect off the waters as they sat in the boat.

"This is stupid," said Wally, unable to find an appropriate philosophical thought about the ocean.

It just was. There was nothing more to it. It just was.

"You think so?" asked Hal with a chuckle, "That's why we're here, isn't it? Because everything is stupid."

Wally had no comment about that.

* * *

The Berlin Wall was skipped due to the traffic and reporters that had arrived out of nowhere after seeing the Flash. They seemed to think somebody was attacking said Wall. Hal had talked them down, almost created an international incident, and agreed that Batman could handle the rest.

They instead headed to a small cafe near the Danube in Hungary. It was uncrowded, and the man had been more than thrilled to open the doors for them when he saw the costume and Uncle Barry waved quickly. Coffee was served to Hal, and danishes, scones and tarts for the speedsters. Nothing Hungarian at all. It was kind of funny, but the man wasn't Hungarian himself. He was Dutch.

The sun shone into their window here, delicately setting off the vase in the middle of the table, the cutlery and Hal's cup. Making them shine. It was strangely the weirdest place to think of home, but Wally did. He thought of his parents, and his dad drinking coffee when he was younger.

"I need some air," he said suddenly, standing up and feeling sick, "Let's go."

They left, Barry and Hal staring at him in worry.

* * *

After the disastrous moment of contemplation in Hungary, in god only knows what city, they arrived at the Gulf of Mexico. The sun was rising here, and Wally found he could finally breathe. They were too far away from gleaming cups to be thinking of anything.

"Where are we?" asked Hal aloud.

"Somewhere foresty," said Barry, indicating the forest backdrop, filled with unknown horrors.

Wally had just run, thoughtless of direction beyond what Hal set up, just barely directing the group. The boy flumped down on the beach, staring up at the clouds. This was the first time he'd really looked at the clouds of wherever they headed too. He could faintly see the moon, glowing in the background as a perfect crescent. The sun had barely brushed away the dark blue of the night.

"Why are we running?" asked Wally suddenly as he stared at the dark blemishes ruining the starry night, or well, disappearing starry night.

"Thought you could take a day," said Barry sitting down beside Wally. "Can you?"

"No," said Wally, feeling small and useless and it _hurt_. He had spent all year trying to escape that feeling that crept up when he was alone, the feeling of failure, betrayal, disappointment, of worthlessness. This was the exact opposite of that. This was like some kind of taunt.

"What's the matter kid? You love running," said Hal, sitting down on the sand beside Wally, reaching out to pet his head.

"I like running," said Wally automatically, "Just- I don't like stopping."

"Why?" asked Barry curiously, "Those were some amazing sights today. Hal even took a picture of Alaska."

"I just- It doesn't matter!" exploded Wally, "None of this matters. Why doesn't it matter?! It should- but nobody cared. Nobody. They just- they just were."

"You make not a lick of sense," said Hal easily, as Wally sat up, brushing the sand off his head and feeling utterly useless.

"None of those people- They don't- Everything- It was-

"Do you want to head home? We can call Jay and Joan over, Sue and Ralph said she might stop by next week, so Iris will want some help cleaning the guest room," said Barry, trying to distract Wally.

"I- Do you think I'll ever matter?" asked Wally suddenly, sounding broken and small like Barry hadn't seen since after his accident.

"Course you matter," said Hal fiercely, "Don't you get it? We took you to all those places because you matter kid. Because we wanted you to see it."

Wally stared at Hal, and then he broke down. Barry was holding him as he bawled, sobbing unintelligibly into his Uncle's arms as he let himself be cradled and loved, holding his Uncle with the fierceness that only a speedster could feel, as time trickled on forever. Hal had stepped away, letting the two envelop themselves, letting them naturally allow their speed to make all things unimportant. Just them in their universe.

Hal never questioned what they spoke about, what Barry said. They simply returned home to Iris waking up. Wally slept through most of the day, as did Barry and Hal too. Wally got a picture of the sun rise in Alaska when he woke up the next day. The bloody battlefield was tucked into his wallet. A remembrance on the bad days that to someone, he was enough.

* * *

**Requested by Grayson3:**

Barry wasn't sure what brought this on. He was usually pretty calm and collected, he usually planned things out. Iris had only just met Jay and Joan. She'd only just solved the mystery of his disappearances, and she had only just started to acclimatize herself to the fact that Hal was Green Lantern, that the Dibny's were actually filthy rich and not Barry's old college pal and his wife, that any and everyone that Barry knew was probably living a double life and that he'd lied to her for the majority of their relationship.

By all reason, she should have left him.

And here he was, down four grand, and staring at the receipt in front of Hal and Oliver, who looked just as incredulous as he felt.

"Barry," said Oliver sternly, "You have to return that thing. For one, how the fuck can you afford it?"

"I can't," said Barry, a little hysterical, "I just-

"Lost your head," supplied Hal, sounding entirely amused as he passed Barry a bottle of some strong whiskey. The only thing strong enough to stay abuzz in his system for an hour and get him reasonably drunk to forget this horrible moment.

"Don't touch that," said Ollie, taking the bottle from Barry, meeting very little resistance, "You're already out of your mind. Did a Rogue slip you something? I swear that Top guy is a loon, he's probably on something. God they're all fucking nuts. It's the water in Central, isn't it? Did you drink too much of it?"

"Oh c'mon," said Hal with a chuckle, "By the end of the night he might buy the two of them a house and car and two point five kids with a little less sobriety."

"Oh my god," said Barry, suddenly looking up in a daze, "I want to marry Iris."

Both his friends stared at him, looking completely taken aback. Just like how Barry felt. He wanted to marry Iris. He wasn't sure which word in that sentence needed to be emphasized more. Marriage. Commitment. Lifelong. Iris. He.

"Are you telling me you bought the fucking ring without thinking about what it meant?!" roared Oliver, slamming the ring down on the table and popping open the lid.

Barry hissed, as though he was being burned by the brightness of the stone. It was a simple white gold diamond engagement ring. It had a princess cut, square diamond lobbed in the center with blue flecks when the light it hit a certain way. Pushing the stone up were two, smaller diamonds. It was pretty, elegant, simple, classic. A half carat stone with of the finest value.

"I want to marry Iris," repeated Barry, staring at the horror that he'd purchased for four grand. Four thousand smackeroonies. He wasn't going to be able to pay rent. He almost burst into hysterical giggles. Or maybe tears.

"Maybe you were bewitched," said Hal thoughtfully, "I hear Batman has a guy who can fix that. Do you feel bewitched?"

"I don't- I think- I think I want to marry Iris," said Barry in shock.

"You fucking idiot," said Oliver with a glare, "Cops. I swear to god, the coffee and donuts probably got to your brain, and considering the amount of sugar you take in that coffee I'm not surprised."

"He sounds bewitched," said Hal with a nod, "I'll text Bats and let him know. He'll probably drop out of the vent because this is a threat to his security, with probably some contingency plan in hand."

"You have Batman's cell number?" asked Ollie, distracted from Barry's shocked revelation.

"God no," said Hal easily, "I'm pretty sure I ended up on his watch list and he's tracking my texts."

"Oh Hal," said Ollie with a sigh, "You aren't special. He watches everyone."

* * *

It was thus, with a heavy heart and a little too much amusement, that the trio zetaed to Brazil, the current location of one Ralph and Sue Dibny, and coincidentally, the only married couple that the trio knew who worked the superhero gig. If Barry was serious, Ollie concluded, he needed to go to an expert.

The Dibny's were entirely welcoming and understanding on the matter. They welcomed Barry into the house, Sue made them tea and then the three were seated in the living room on Sue's white leather couch overlooking the sea, despite it being three in the morning.

"So what brings you to Brazil?" asked Ralph, his voice booming and slightly nasally, but otherwise, friendly and welcoming as ever.

"Barry wants to marry Iris," announced Hal, grinning ear to ear as Sue gave a high-pitched, girlish squeal.

"He bought a ring," said Oliver, holding it out uncertainly to Ralph. He didn't know the Dibny's as well as Barry, and not even on the same terms as Hal and Ralph.

"Oh my goodness! It's fabulous! A half carat but of fabulous cut and clarity, isn't it?" asked Sue, chattering away as she eyed the ring, "The blue tint is perfect for Iris! It'll suit her skin tone, and when she stands beside you it'll match perfectly with your eyes and highlight how wonderful you two are together. Oh it's marvelous Barry! You must have put a lot of thought into purchasing this!"

"He bought it on a whim and realized afterwards that he wanted to marry Iris," said Ollie blandly.

"Well," said Ralph, orange eyebrows flying up on his thin face, "That's- impulsive. I never took Barry Allen for being so- er- jumpy."

"I didn't- I mean- I don't know what I'm going to do," said Barry helplessly, "Do I propose?"

"You can't just propose on a whim," said Sue, closing the ring box, and staring at Barry with a careful glare, "Marriage is very serious Barry, and if you're planning to propose, you have to be certain. Obviously you want to, but do you really want to?"

That was the wisest thing Ollie had ever heard Sue say. Usually she was keeping Ralph from making innuendos while simultaneously adding lighthearted cheer to a room with her slightly- very- girly and peppy nature. Wise Sue was strange and alien, like Barry buying a ring. Jesus Christ.

"Where's the apocalypse when you need it?" he muttered to Hal, who snorted.

"How did Ralph propose?" asked Hal easily.

Immediately Sue's whole face lit up, and she beamed at her husband as she said, "He contorted his entire body into the words will you marry me on my front lawn. It was just a normal day until he blew me away with those words."

"And then I contorted myself in an entirely different manner to celebrate," said Ralph with a grin, though it was not the least bit lewd, and rather, it was filled with love as the two exchanged sickeningly sweet smiles. This was why Ollie was never getting tied down to a woman.

"That's helpful," said Hal with a nod, "So Barry, can you contort yourself?"

"Oh!" said Sue, suddenly returning to her slightly ditzy state as she remembered their presence, "So are you proposing then? Because if you are, I need to start shortlisting wedding venues."

"I- I bought the ring on a whim," said Barry with a heavy sigh, "I don't know what it means."

"Barry," said Ralph gently, "I think you know what it means."

The entire room stared at Barry, and then he let out a shaky breath as he said, "I- I think I'm getting married. Any advice?"

"Oh brilliant!" said Sue, clapping her hands together as she hugged Barry tight. "It's wonderful, marriage. And if anyone deserves to be happily married, it's you Barry."

"And just for you Barry, I'll pay for the honeymoon. Make it worth going through the wedding and the in-laws entirely," said Ralph happily.

In the corner of the room, Hal and Ollie made disgusted expressions at the idea of commitment while pouring the champagne to toast Barry's decision.

* * *

Despite Ollie and Hal's affliction towards commitment, the two were surprisingly helpful to Barry's plight. Ollie paid his rent, and as soon as Barry finished working double shifts this month, he'd be able to pay Ollie back in full. The more important aspect of his life, however, was the proposal itself.

Sue and Ralph had been a hindrance and a help in that regard. Between Hal and Ralph's awful vibrator jokes, and Ollie and Sue's insistence that the proposal cost his entire yearly salary, the group had been a headache. However, in the end, and a bottle of champagne later, and three for Barry, they'd come to an agreeable solution. And Barry swore to god he was never letting them help him again.

The idea had really been a result of talking to Ralph and Sue after Hal and Ollie headed out to grab some more champagne.

"You know Barry," said Sue, looking thoughtful, "It's a really good thing you've decided to get married, but isn't it a bit soon, what with Iris only knowing the situation for two months now?"

"I don't think it matters Sue," said Ralph, surprising both Barry and Sue by interjecting, "If Iris is willing to stay with Barry as Barry, and as the Flash, then I don't think we can judge them."

"What do you mean as Barry and the Flash? They're the same guy," said Barry, feeling the buzz still from the champagne.

"No they aren't," said Ralph seriously, "I'm Ralph Dibny, and I'm the Elongated Man. Neither have any connection, beyond inhabiting the same body and being excellent at pleasing the missus."

"Ralph!" said Sue sharply, but she was giggling, her cheeks a little flushed from the alcohol.

"But they are both parts of who I am," said Ralph, grinning as he wrapped an arm around Sue, "And that's what matters. That's probably the most important thing about marriage Barry, for guys like us. The missus has to be able to handle the idea of being married to two men, not one. And she has to know that one or both of those men won't be able to devote his life to her. Just his heart. If she can handle that, then by gods wrap yourself around her and never let her go."

"Oh Ralph," said Sue, sounding sobered and touched as she leaned into his arm, as he wrapped it several times around her waist and then kissed her on the top of her head.

Barry stared at Ralph, entirely amazed at his words. Ralph wasn't known for being philosophical. Those words resounded in Barry, and that was how he found himself doing this. Really, it was the simplest way to make things real.

Hal and Ollie had helped him work out the final details, and now he was here. Iris had received a call from her boss, telling her to go to the Central PD's forensic department to meet with one of the officers to discuss a very important case with an important officer. Barry had specifically worded it that way to attract Iris's attention and maintain a level of mystery.

Oliver had hacked the security feeds to ensure that nobody saw anything. This was, after all, a private moment. He was wearing an expensive navy suit with a red tie, one Sue had emphasized at the rental store.

"Barry?" asked Iris, looking surprised as she walked into the lab. Barry's lab.

Barry was standing at his lab bench, looking through the microscope. His nerves were thrumming, and it was only the knowledge that he was going to have to explain how the suit caught on fire to the rental place that kept him from burning a hole through it.

"Iris," he said, standing up, the lab coat hiding the suit, and smiling at her. He sped over to her, and she gasped. He never used speed in the lab, after all.

She looked beautiful. Like she'd just been on television, judging from the pale green blouse, and dark brown skirt. Her hair was pulled back. Her lips were a shiny pink. He kissed those lips, hard and passionate, trying to share his love for her. Iris responded in kind, kissing him back with the same fervor, before they parted.

"What on earth are you up to Barry Allen?" she asked, sounding a bit breathless.

"Hi," he said, ignoring the question as his eyes crinkled and he smiled down at her.

"Hello," she laughed, arching a ginger brow at him over those amazing green eyes.

"Come here," he said, tugging her to the store-room at the end of the lab.

She followed, trotting behind him until they were in the dark store-room. Above them was a bulb, the only source of light. His lab coat was open now, and she was staring at his suit, trying to make sense of it as he stared at the chemical display in front of him. They weren't the chemicals from his experiment. These were harmless, really just solutions made to look bubbly and fancy. One such solution was really just champagne.

"What are these?" asked Iris, still thinking this was a case, albeit a very extraordinary one.

"The day I came back here, I had a box with me and flasks. I was just rearranging the waste products, organizing them, when through the window, there was this bolt of lightning." Outside the window, Hal's ring produced a green strike of lightning, far in the distance as Barry held her hand, holding Iris beside him as she stared out the window, surprised. She had gone quiet, trying to process what was occurring, and probably concluding this had nothing to do with work.

"I wanted to head home," he said with a small smile, "I mean, it was late, and I had just spent a day going through an exhausting case. The murder of the Grimsby children. Three kids, all slaughtered ruthlessly by their father." His face fell, remembering the horror of finding those bodies, trying to determine what killed them. Realizing that they had probably fought their father back, realizing that the father was mixing drugs and that he'd been out of his mind when he'd burnt his children with battery acid. His stomach still churned thinking about that case.

Iris stroked his cheek, knowing how those murders affected him. They were, after all, the first case he'd solved as the Flash. He'd told her all about it later on, much later on. Tearing away from those horrible memories, he focused on Iris, on her solid presence, and how wonderful and strong she was.

"That case," he said, focusing on Iris and not the bodies hovering in his eyes, "It was wearing on me. I just couldn't figure out how those kids had died, and the father had OD'd so we didn't know where to pin the blame because he had supposedly died before the kids. It was- horrible. I was so out of it, just shifting things around. I hadn't slept in a week, and I hadn't eaten for fourteen hours because I just needed more  _time_. And then magic happened."

The green light flashed through the window, surrounding the two of them, and Iris cried out in shock. The light flashed on the chemicals, and Iris gasped as they changed color, glowing florescent, seeming to burn and bubble and churn. Then everything went dark. And it was just Iris and Barry under the bulb.

"And then I became the Flash," he said, voice still strong as Iris gazed at him.

"And you solved the case," said Iris, smiling at him, and he grinned back as he nodded, "I solved the case. I solved lots of cases. I can't even remember the number now."

"Three hundred and one," said Iris easily, "I wrote articles for two hundred and ten of them, out of which fifty two were cold cases from the last ten years and considered unsolvable."

"You're amazing," said Barry, deviating from the script to kiss her again and lose his breath, before remembering that he had a plan. "Anyways," he flushed and looked away, before meeting her eyes and continuing to say, "Being the Flash, this room right here, this started it all. But I'm not just the Flash. I'm also Barry Allen, and I'm a cop. So I come back in this room a lot, and even though it was so monumental to being me, it had nothing to do with being me too. Barry Allen just works here. The Flash was born here. And I mean, for a long time, that was okay. But it was hard. I couldn't tell anyone about this room, about this moment, because it had nothing to do with me but it had  _everything_  to do with me. You're the first person I've shared this room with."

Iris's eyes widened, and she squeezed Barry's hands, but she stayed silent. Her eyes were sparkling as she let him monologue about this.

"After the Grimsby case, and the cases that came after that, before you," said Barry, his voice starting to shake, "I used to have lots of nightmares. I used to tear into myself about it. And there was never any respite. Either I was solving murder as Barry Allen, or I was solving murder as the Flash. This room, sometimes I used to think it was a curse. It made me into a hero and gave me a responsibility that was wearing on me. But there are so many evil people out there, so many bad guys, and I became obsessed about getting them all. And it was really wearing on me. Hal and Ollie and Ralph, they became friends, but they had the same thing as I do, the same mission. And we don't see each other every day, or even every week. And they weren't- I mean-

"They didn't chase away the nightmares," said Iris softly, finding the words for Barry, who took a deep breath and nodded. Iris had tears filling her eyes.

"I can't give up being the Flash, not for anyone," said Barry softly, "And I can't give up being a cop. Even when it's frustrating. And that made dating and friendships hard. Nobody wants a man who can't keep still. And not many people can keep up with a speedster, who has the patience for a man like me."

"That's not true," said Iris automatically, their voices whispers now, as Iris stepped closer, and he brought his arms around her waist.

"It's very true. Speedsters are one in a billion," said Barry with a laugh, his throat clenching at the moment, at all the emotions he was feeling. "And you- You just work with it, and treat me like I'm just Barry. And you- you're patient, and loving, and kind. You stay with me, and wait for me, and I just- God Iris, I love you so so much. At the end of the day, when I stop being Barry Allen the cop, or the Flash, I want to leave this- this storeroom, and just go to you."

"Barry," said Iris, tears slipping from her eyes now, as she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"If I'm one in a billion, then god Iris, you're like, one in a trillion," said Barry firmly, despite the slight quaver in his hand as he reached into the suit, and pulled out the box. Iris gasped, and then choked on her sob, "And I want to spend the rest of my life running home to you."

"Yes! Yes!" said Iris, wrapping her arms around his neck before he could show her the ring, and then his lips were met by hers, and it was a promise and a connection all in one. He could taste the familiar sweetness that was Iris, the taste of her bitter coffee blended with something sweet and undefinable, as his tongue outlined hers. The ring fell from his hand to the ground. He suddenly understood what Ralph meant by the fireworks, because this was an explosion of their feelings, like a never before shared kiss. Every hesitancy about Iris leaving, every hesitancy about him leaving, or not being good enough, all of it was forgotten as he let himself just be, in this one kiss.

They pulled apart, gasping for breath, and then Iris gave a light laugh. And then he was laughing too. He bent down, onto his knee and plucked the ring up, propping the lid open as he said, "Will you marry me Iris West? All of me?"

"Gods Barry," said Iris, bending down beside him to let the ring slip on her finger, "Of course I will."

And she did.

* * *

**(Sort of) Requested by runwithanime:**

Hal was the last person that Iris trusted as a babysitter. But the options were limited, and Barry had sent him. Today she was covering the state elections, and while it wasn't her favorite thing to report, the two candidates all had different platforms, especially in regards to superheroes, and she was interested to interview the both of them prior to the electoral announcement.

The problem was that Rudy had been hospitalized after a car crash, and Mary had wanted Wally out of the way so she could dote on her husband. Ergo, Iris and Barry were babysitting.

"Hal's coming?" asked Iris blankly when Barry informed her of his substitute.

She'd met Hal a few times before. Wally had grown particularly attached to the man after their wedding. Iris thought he was a chauvinistic pig with a giant ego. But she also thought he was sweet, loyal and caring, and despite her issues with Hal, and her own exasperation, he was a rather sweet fellow, and she did like him, to a degree. But she didn't trust him around her nephew. At least, not alone.

"He'll be great Iris! You know Wally adores him, and vice versa," cajoled Barry, "And Hal is a superhero. And his brother recently got married. I hear she's expecting."

"How does the potential of Hal's sister-in-law having a child in any way affect his ability to babysit?" demanded Iris.

Unfortunately, Wally chose that precise minute to walk into the kitchen for breakfast. At ten, he was red-haired and still somewhat shorter than the other boys his age. He was still struggling to adapt to school and being with the older kids. As Hal had aptly put, he was the red-haired genius kid that everybody picked on. And it broke Iris's heart.

"Uncle Hal is coming over?!" His entire face lit up. He'd completely overheard her entire conversation, and who was she to deny him such a happy look. Especially when he looked at her like that.

"Yeah, Uncle Hal is coming over," said Iris with a sigh.

Resigned, Iris left Wally to a smiley Hal, with emergency numbers tucked into both pockets of her nephew's jeans and a threatening speech for the Green Lantern. As she left, she couldn't help but think that she'd made a bad decision.

* * *

Wally adored Hal. Hal was the coolest thing to grace the Earth since the Flash and Uncle Barry. And Uncle Hal adored superheroes too, just like Wally did. He was extremely knowledgeable about them. He had super defined opinions too.

"Batman's a fucker," said Hal with a snort, as they watched the news report, Wally buzzing with excitement, "He's a total jackass. You're better off not liking him. Wonder Woman's alright, she hits pretty hard though and she's not afraid to. Hot but terrifying, never a good combination for a relationship, but a great combination for when you're older and into that kind of thing. Aquaman's a stiff too. He's a nice dude, and his wife's hot, but he's so stiff and serious. Avoid him too but if you ever get in touch, politeness."

"How do you know so much?" asked Wally, amazed as he stared at the screen as they debated the merits of various heroes and the possibility of the heroes starting a team.

"I'm Hal," said Hal easily, "I know lots of stuff."

"Hey Uncle Hal," said Wally, sidling closer to his new second favorite uncle (Uncle Edgar would not be missed), "Do you think that y'know, I could be a hero someday?"

"Course you can kid," said Hal, ruffling his head, "I mean, the Green Lantern Corps is always hiring, and I know a guy who can put in a good word for you."

"You do?!" asked Wally, amazed, "How?"

"Because I'm Hal," said Hal with a grin, as Wally gazed at him reverently before asking in that chipper voice, "Do you think you can put a word in for me with the Flash?!"

Hal sighed, disappointed once again as he replied, "I'll look into it."

Satisfied, Wally turned his attention back to the screen as they began debating the merits of heroes such as Superman and Martian Manhunter and immigration laws. Why the kid enjoyed such mundane news reports baffled Hal, but overall, the kid was the easiest to babysit. Hopefully Jim's kids would be this simple. Speaking of which, he really should call Jim. It had been a month since they'd last spoken. Making the mental note to call Jim when he got home, Hal settled into his spot.

Until he heard the ring.

 _"Where are you ya' stinkin' poozer!"_ came Kilowog's booming voice, and Hal sat up, glancing at Wally, who hadn't heard anything, a benefit of the Ring's construct.

"I got to go to the bathroom kid," said Hal easily, "Just stay here."

Hal immediately escaped from the living room, not waiting allowing Wally a chance to say anything, and headed to the bathroom. Once he was barricaded inside, he concentrated his will-power to the ring, allowing it to relay his thoughts across to wherever Kilowog was.

 _"What the hell is going on?"_ demanded Hal immediately.

 _"Oh good, Jordan we have reason to believe that_ _Kanjar Ro_ _may or may not have escaped to your location,"_  came the even and methodical voice of Salaak over the connection.  _"_ _Kilowog, Arisia,_ _Ch'p_ _and_ _Tomar R_ _e_ _are on their_ _way to apprehend him as we speak."_

 _"And why the hell are all of_ _them_ _coming?!"_ demanded Hal over the connection.

 _"Why do you think?"_ retorted Salaak firmly,  _"He escaped from_ _Tomar Re'_ _s_ _and_ _Ch'p_ _'s_ _accompaniment Hal Jordan! And he seeks revenge against you, after all."_

 _"Look- Can you handle this without me? I'm kind of busy,"_ said Hal firmly.

 _"No can do Hal! We're right outside your door!"_ said Ch'p brightly and chirpily and oh fuck he was in such deep shit.

 _"Wait!"_ he called out, but it was too late.

The door outside the bathroom slammed open, just as Hal rushed out.

"Well let's get to it poozers!" boomed Kilowog, and Hal nearly fainted as he heard Wally's yell.

* * *

Hal was the quickest but  _stupidest_  thinker he had ever known. The minute he heard Kilowog, he had used the ring knock Wally out. Barry was going to kill him. As Hal began to plot which planet was far enough way that Barry would never find him, the other members of the core were staring between the _body_ and Hal, completely stunned.

Inside Barry Allen's living room were three aliens, a Bolovaxian, a H'Ivenite, a Graxosian, and a Xudarling. The Bolovaxian was hulking and large, about nine feet tall easily, and with a large, hulking head as big as a disco ball that had two small, dog-like ears poking from the top, and a large mouth that was used to eat as much food as Barry, if not more. His skin was pink and his teeth sharp and pearly as he stared, lips (or at least, the opening of his mouth) pressed close together to hold in a breath. Hal had once thought Kilowog resembled a large, hulking pig. Then he'd thought of a dog. Now he was just a another member of the people from Bolovax Vik. Ch'p on the other hand, was comically tiny beside Kilowog. He was a quarter the size of Kilowog's head, and in fact, could probably live comfortably in Kilowog's mouth (if Kilowog didn't eat him). He resembled a chipmunk with brown fur and stature, with cat ears and fox-like face and tail.

Tomar Re was was older, older than Hal was for sure. He just reached Hal's shoulder, and oftentimes reminded Hal of a grumpy old man. If old men had beaks and a large fin resembling a mohawk on their heads, and were pure orange in color, distinctly like the beak of the ducks they resembled. Arisia was a lighter orange, with a glow to her skin, elven styled ears, and she was petite, resembling a fourteen year old girl, but Hal knew better. The people from Graxos VI grew fast to adulthood, and then lived long lives until sudden deaths struck them. Each year they would undergo a 'growth spurt' and within a day, Arisia would age another year, or two, or even three. If Tomar was old and grumpy, than Arisia was young and bright, like a little sister.

And the only thing tying such an eclectic group together was the ring on their hand or claw or paw, and the costume with it's emblem emblazoned along it, though Arisia wore a white shirt and skirt instead of a body suit.

"You- Is this an earth infant?" asked Arisia, amazed as she bounded over to the small  _unconscious_ boy, who really was only three or four years younger to the preteen herself, or possibly three to four years older. Hal didn't want to think about that right now.

"I was not aware you had entered fatherhood Jordan," said Tomar Re stoically, "Congratulations. I myself am a father, and young Tomar Tu is a promising lad indeed. I suppose any child of yours will be equally promising."

"What the heck is goin' on?" demanded Kilowog, looking deeply betrayed, his dark beady eyes widened as far as Hal had ever seen them go.

"I'm going to die," said Hal morosely, burrowing his head between his knees as he slumped onto the couch, "I'm going to be murdered in the fastest, bloodiest way possible. And that's if I'm lucky. He might just sick the wife on me."

"He is a rather ugly infant, but I suppose all earthlings are," continued Tomar Re, apparently ignoring Hal's distress, "And smaller than I anticipated earthlings to appear in infancy. He looks nothing like you. But I suppose he shall grow to look far more attractive to the human species and attract a wonderful partner as he grows."

"How old is he?" asked Ch'p quietly, looking betrayed in his diminished tiny stature, poking Wally's face as though he was some unnatural specimen. Arisia helpfully tacked on, "He can't be too old. He looks pretty tiny if you ask me. Is he a baby? Are all human babies this size?"

"He's not a baby," said Tomar Re with a nod, "Have you not read anything on humans Arisia? We work with two of the finest and their many friends on occasion. It's only natural to learn more about such a species."

"Then what is he?" asked Arisia curiously.

"I believe the term is juvenile," said Tomar Re conclusively.

"Jordan! Why didn' you tell us about the kid?!" demanded Kilowog, lumbering over Hal, using the impressiveness of his stature to look more threatening.

"He's not mine!" said Hal finally, coming out of his stupor, "He's Ba- The Flash's kid!" Not really, but close enough relationship that Hal didn't have to explain, "And he doesn't know all the details about my er, career choice."

"Why not? I thought you super earthlings shared stuff with each other." posed Ch'p, looking considerably less upset, "Hey where is Big Red anyway?"

"He's on a mission and I offered to baby-sit for his wife," said Hal, and the aliens nodded, probably translating baby-sit to whatever term was used on their planets, "And the kid doesn't know about heroes yet because he's er- too young."

"Well," said Arisia with a frown, "I guess that means he knows now."

"Is he like his dad? Fast?" asked Kilowog, looking appeased as well.

"He's his nephew, so they aren't identical," explained Hal, thinking morosely about how if he was fast Hal could have used Wally to escape. "Anyways, shouldn't you be out searching for Kanjar Ro?"

"This is your home planet Hal Jordan," said Tomar Re sternly, "Should you not be providing us direction?"

"Right," said Hal, running a hand through his hair which may end up finally turning grey after this experience, "Why is the son of a bitch on Earth anyways?"

"You know the type," boomed Kilowog easily, "We took down his organization and he wants revenge on the guy who did it. You."

"I was dealing with a flippin' smuggler!" said Hal angrily, "What did he expect?!"

"We're positive he entered Earth's atmosphere after picking up signs of debris that matched the pod he used to escape when Ch'p and I were distracted by his allies," said Tomar Re, looking personally affronted at what had occurred.

"Right," said Hal, nodding.

So Kanjar Ro used the last of his allies to get away since the organization was probably done with. The alien had been a major weapons smuggler and responsible for several organized deaths in sector 2814. As of last month, Hal had finally cleared out the man and gotten to arrest the jackass. But he must have had an escape plan routed out, and once he'd gotten arrested by Tomar Re and Ch'p, he'd used it. But to come after Hal was a sign of desperation. He was definitely not thinking straight, and was probably out to get revenge.

"He'll wait for me to come out," said Hal thoughtfully, ignoring the other Lanterns for a minute, "He'll wait until I'm out in the open and then attack. He's probably watching Coast City right now."

After a few more minutes of waiting for Hal's decision on how best to approach the situation, Tomar Re spoke up again, and said stoically, "Have you come up with a plan then, Hal Jordan?"

"Yes," said Hal with a pleased expression, "We'll get the son of a bitch tonight. But first-

* * *

Two hours later, Wally was awake. Hal had created an energy duplicate of himself as Green Lantern, throwing Wally into believing that Hal was required by the Green Lantern himself. Wally had been astounded and looked at Hal with the hero worship commonly reserved for Barry. In exchange for taking Hal away, he was left with his new babysitters. Kilowog and Arisia. And they were fantastic.

"-And that's what the communal mind effect feels like," said Kilowog, finishing his second story about Bolovax Vik, as the kid offered him the entire third drawer of the refrigerater, which Kilowog was more than happy to eat.

The kid was taking notes on this. It was sort of intriguing, for he was absolutely frightened out of his mind, but fascinated as well. Kilowog found the earth boy sort of strange, and at the same time, not a bad feller at all. He was fascinated by Kilowog more than Arisia, presumably because he found the alien-shape of Kilowog more fascinating than Arisia's near-human appearance. It was no surprise, after all.

"This is boring," whined Arisia, flumping on the couch and looking entirely put out, "What do you do here for fun?"

The kid turned bright red as Arisia fixed her stare onto him. The boy looked flustered, and completely out of place. Then it hit Kilowog. Sexual attraction. He'd never pictured little Arisia as a recipient of anyone's attraction before, but obviously this boy was near enough to Arisia's age that he was very much attracted by her. And judging from the way he couldn't meet her eyes or face, Arisia was figuring it out too. Kilowog was at a loss. He had no clue how a person dealt with children and their first ever attraction to someone. It was out of his depth. Best to observe then.

"I- er- um- food?" offered the boy pathetically, holding out the only apple to have slipped from Kilowog's grasp. By now, he had not only finished all of the Flash's food, but he had also eaten away at the shelves and drawers in the refrigerator, and he was finally full.

"No thanks," purred Arisia, a little smile on her face.

Of course. This was the first time Arisia was receiving any attraction from someone. And she was flattered. Kilowog wasn't sure how to take that either, considering he was training Arisia after all. This was a very strange and entirely awful experience. Jordan would pay for this.

The boy went quiet. Wall. Wally. That was his name. He looked so lost and nervous, like he might at any moment disappear. It was an intriguing response. Kilowog was surrounded by hardened members of the Green Lantern corps, and none of those people were the least bit shy. John had been polite and distant in his early days of attraction to Katma, but they were grown men and women. Children in love was strangely refreshing to watch. It wasn't like adults, filled with complications and attitude. It was just, well, innocent. Maybe Jordan wasn't so bad leaving him behind.

"So- yurhhg- Lantern?" the little red head spewed out, and then went pink and ducked his head down, looking ashamed at the lack of verbal communication.

Arisia looked delighted at being acknowledged as a Lantern.

And Kilowog was reminded once again why this situation sucked for him. He had gone from trainer of the toughest Green Lanterns across the universe to babysitter of a play date. Jordan would pay. Heavily.

"Yes I am," said Arisia proudly, "I'm from Graxos VI, in Sector 2815. That's not far from here."

The last bit was tacked on shyly, as she let her dark blue eyes glance at the boy, before dipping downwards. Despite having a head of height on the boy, and being a Green Lantern, she was somehow less intimidating and more attractive to him. Kilowog was baffled.

"What's erghsmm?" asked the boy, his voice swallowed by the mumbles and being caught in the direct crossfire of Arisia's brilliant smile.

"It's lovely! My entire family was from there, and all of them were Green Lanterns," she said, patting the seat beside her. The boy was beside her in seconds. He was definitely part Flash. As she began to regale him about the cities, the large, green moon that lit the sky, the twinkling of the thousand stars, the desert like atmosphere. And the boy absorbed it all.

Then the story switched to her time as Green Lantern. Here, Kilowog was able to interject with his own stories. Like that, time flew, with the boy timidly questioning things and the two delighted to provide answers. So rarely did Green Lanterns have an audience that was willing to hear the stories. And Kilowog found it strange to actually share a story with someone else, instead of just let them see the memories. He was rather good at telling tales.

"What's your life like, on Earth?" asked Arisia suddenly, "Isn't it boring? You should join the core! We always need new recruits, and I think you'd make a great recruit, don't you think Kilowog?"

"Well, it's certainly not a bad idea," said Kilowog hesitantly, "But his uncle may want different things for him."

"Uncle B always wants the best for me!" said the kid suddenly, sparked with interest, "Do you really think I'd make a good Green Lantern?"

"Of course! I could train you! And Kilowog too!" said Arisia happily, clapping her hands together as though she had created a marvellous idea, "In fact-

Then Arisia surprised all of them. She created a ring duplicate, using her willpower. Kilowog and Wally gaped as it fit onto his hand. She beamed at him, and nodded him to try it out. The boy was trembling with sheer delight as he let the ring's energy flow over him, slowly creating a costume that resembled Hal Jordan's in every aspect. Then, Arisia giggled as she used her ring to create a little hand, that brushed off his shoulders and made him stand straight. Amazed, the kid both blushed, and used his ring to create letters saying thank you. Now it was Kilowog's turn to gape.

"That was fantastic! Where on earth did you learn that you poozer?!" he demanded, amazed that the kid had the ability to already create a costume and manipulate the Oan energy with such little training and with no strain at all. He had the signs of an indomitable will, after all. Oh he'd make a great addition to the core. Kilowog could envision it now.

"What?" demanded the boy, absolutely lost, and a little hesitant.

Before Kilowog could answer, the door opened, revealing the costume-less Flash back early from a mission. And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

"What were you even thinking?!" demanded the Flash, hovering over Hal Jordan. The green energy construct version of him as Green Lantern looked equally as nervous as 'Barry' hovered over Hal, while a still costumed Wally sat beside Arisia, the two giggling and sharing tales like best friends. Tomar Re and Ch'p had headed off with Kanjar Ro already.

"We caught the guy," said Hal weakly, "And they needed my help. I'm the best pilot in Coast, after all."

"You left Wally alone to chase after an alien," said Barry, looking upset, "And didn't think maybe to call me or Iris? We have back-up sitters."

"I don't need a sitter," said Wally suddenly, "And Arisia and Kilowog were really nice Uncle Barry."

"I have no doubt," said Barry, looking disturbed at the sight of Wally in his costume, "Er- could you- I don't know, take that off, please?"

The kid automatically let the costume fade away, looking a bit put out while Hal grinned. He received an angry glare from Barry for it, so he schooled his features accordingly. Barry grimaced as Kilowog jumped in, "He's got natural talent! We think he'd be a great addition to the co-

"No," said Barry firmly, "He's too young to enlist."

"But-

"No Wally. No Kilowog," said Barry, glaring at the twin looks of disappointment, "No means no. If he's still interested in eight years, then sure. But for now, no way in hell."

"But-

"No Hal," said Barry icily, "And I think the Green Lanterns should take you home now after putting so much in jeopardy today."

Hal swallowed, and realized that Barry was upset at dragging a civilian into this life. With a sigh, Hal nodded. Arisia looked disappointed. Wally looked aghast and ready to argue as soon as everyone left. Barry cringed, prepared to deal with the fallout and all the hate Wally would give him for this. This would be their first fight. God he felt sick just thinking of it.

"That's too bad," said Arisia with a sigh, and then she turned and surprised them all by placing a quick peck on Wally's lips. The boy turned bright pink, and she smiled as she said, "I'll see in eight years then? It was nice meeting you! Earthlings are sort of fun. Bye Wally."

And then they were gone, leaving Wally and Barry behind. The rest of the night was spent with Barry yelling at Hal over the phone, while Wally dreamed of Graxos IV and the girl who got away. It was only the reassurance that such greetings were common on Graxos IV and that Arisia meant nothing by it that would give Barry easy rest and decide to postpone talking to Wally about girls for another time. Nonetheless, Iris was very confused as to why her entire fridge was emptied of food and shelves and drawers when she returned, or why Hal was so willing to foot the bill.


	8. Unregulated Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally experiences the after shock of going through speed. Jay recaps the problems they're having.

Barry had no idea where the week was going. They had told Wally on Monday about the possibility of meeting with new heroes, and he'd been ecstatic. Jay had continued his exercises with Wally, unable to figure out how to teach Wally how to regulate his internal speed. He'd made some vague comments about trying to find a friend who could help, but beyond that, Barry and he were at a stand-still on how to best let Wally improve.

"It's like he's lightning," explained Jay to Joan and Iris on Wednesday night, "And all that energy he's got, he can't control it. He needs body contact to get his speed back down, or to burn out all his energy. It's not too bad right now, but as he continues to practice running, it's going to get worse. He's already stepped backwards right now, and it's not good."

"What does that mean?" asked Joan, clutching her tea cup as Iris listened silently.

"He's too fast," said Barry with a growing headache, "Jay said he had his first attack. His body started moving faster than normal on Tuesday, while Joan was out at the grocery store."

"How- What happened?" asked Iris, her eyes wide and terrified.

Jay gave a grimace, before he began to recite the tale.

* * *

_It had started in an ordinary training exercise. Knowing that Wally had conquered external control had made Jay pleased. But t he had no internal control, and no matter how happy Jay was about his external control, he was terrified of what Wally's irregularity could mean. And Jay was stuck working off of theory and nightmares. Jay had reread and memorized the notes that he'd dug up on the experiment that Wally had written. Mostly, they were similar to Barry's notes, but Wally''d postulated ratios that Barry hadn't been able to guess with the same exactness. After all, Barry had been working off of memory. Even Jay had no idea how his own experiment's ratios would work if he were to duplicate it._

_Furthermore, the external chemicals that could have been a part of the experiment from the roof had to be taken into account. It was a factor not involved in Jay or Barry's experiments. The roof had been repainted one week prior to the experiment. Whatever possible chemicals on Wally's body, chemicals from the rain, so many external factors that Jay just couldn't dissect. He wasn't a scientist. He was just an ordinary jock who had invested his life into science after a freak accident._

_So here he was, sitting with Wally, and trying to make the best of a bad situation. Barry trusted him. Wally trusted him. Iris trusted him. And he couldn't let them down. Now if only he could track down that guy. Then he'd have someone to trust too._

_"How much longer do I have to keep bouncing this ball?" asked Wally, looking annoyed as he tossed the rubber ball to the ground, and then caught it again._

_For the last half hour Wally had been instructed to toss the ball at an even pace. Slowly, Jay was talking to him, increasing and decreasing speed. Wally's job was to talk to Jay, while bouncing the ball. The activity was more externally concentrated than Jay liked, but it was the best he could come up with that was indoors. At the very least, the ball's momentum was something that Wally had to watch and was an external factor that Wally could sense. He couldn't risk taking Wally on another run until he knew exactly how Wally's power was developing. If the shock of speed from the weekend had changed things. So far, his reports said nothing. But then, his reports weren't exact._

_Jesus this was tiring._

_"Until you can change your internal speed without changing the speed of that ball," said Jay very quickly, and Wally scowled. The kid had picked up the external speed just fine, and as if on cue, his body was reacting to the stimulus. He had gone faster. The ball was practically pummelling the wood below it. He hoped Barry and Iris had a great contractor to fix all the new wears and tears in this place._

_"_ _It's hard!" whined Wally, as Jay continued to keep his pace light and quick. Wally was struggling to return the ball to it's original speed. He had nothing to compare it to, and thus, his internal speedometer was unable to return to normal. Why had he never picked this up before in all their previous training? He had thought Wally was developing internal limits. The kid had no limits. He honest to god didn't know what normal speed for his body was. And he was way too comfortable in the faster zones for Jay's taste._

_"Alright, come on down kid," said Jay with a sigh, returning to original speed._

_Wally stared at him. There was a frown on his face, so Jay repeated the words again. But Wally just shook his head. It was garbled. Jay's frown deepened. He came over to the kid and pressed his hand into Wally's, but without touching the kid he knew the kid was moving at ten times the normal human pace._

_"Come back kid, slow down. You've done this before," said Jay calmly, rubbing circles into Wally's wrist._

_But his hand was on the ball, bouncing it fast and tirelessly against the floor. KnockKnockKnockKnock. Wally just wasn't slowing down. That- That was not a good sign. Jay scowled ferociously. He placed both hands on Wally, trying to get the kid to pace against Jay's heart. But his body was in the upper speeds, and he was just too damn comfortable._

_It was just as Jay had predicted. The kid's internal controls and sensors were completely off. The faster the speeds, the better he felt. Last week it had just been his mind that was relaxed in high speeds. Now his body had gotten a taste, and it was like a hit of cocaine. He was craving the high of speed, and unlike a drug addict, he had it right at his finger tips. Instead of teaching the kid any control, Jay had only worsened the problem by exposing the kid to higher speeds and allowing his body to access that higher speed._

_"Jay- JayIcan'tstop!" cried Wally, his eyes wide and terrified as he realized he couldn't slow down. He was panicking, his breathing increasing and the speed only rising._

_Fucking Christ._

_It was probably the worst thing to do in that situation. But Jay sped his own molecules, his own body up, and knocked the ball away from Wally. It bounced uselessly on the floor, eventually slowing to a stop. It left a skid mark on the ground where it had rolled. Joan would get that later. Right now he had a terrified speeding kid to deal with._

_"I can't stop!" cried Wally again, shaking now from the speed vibrations. The couch was creaking at the contact, "It- I- I can't slow down! Why can't I slow down?!"_

_"It's okay kid," said Jay, scooping Wally into his arms, and the boy welcomed the contact, burrowing into Jay in a half hug, half monkey-around-his-neck sort of move. He felt the kid's hand reach his pulse, feeling the vein in his neck. The boy's head was plastered to his chest. Jay took a deep breath, and slowed down, to an even slower than normal speed._

_He felt Wally struggling, trying to slow down his body and failing. Jay had no idea how to do this. They must have sat like that for close to a half hour before the speed began to leave Wally's body, and he was able to once again gain control over his unregulated speedometer, and the boy's body slowed down. Wally was shaking as he came back to normal._

_The first thing Jay did was take his heart rate. Slightly above normal._

_"How'd you come down kid?" asked Jay gently, rubbing small circles into Wally's back._

_"I- I did the focus thing- with your speed," said Wally shyly._

_Right._

_"I meant, why'd it take so long? Tell me what happened." prompted Jay._

_"_ _I- I couldn't slow down. I don't know why, but it was really hard to slow down. I just- I wanted to stay fast," said Wally slowly, relieving the experience but looking nervous despite his even tone, "I kept trying to slow down, but it was like- I couldn't. I just- It was too hard. Then after a while I could tell everything around me was really slow, so I just had to focus on you. It took forever, but I mean, I got it slowly. And then I was coming down, and it was working. I just- I don't know how."_

_Wonderful._

_"It's okay," said Jay gently, not wanting to scare the kid, "It's fine. At least we know what's going on. For now, let's skip the English homework. I'll read it to you, and just focus on that."_

_"What about the exercises?" asked Wally with confusion in his eyes._

_"I think we've had enough speed today," said Jay firmly, not wanting the kid to realize how shaken Jay was from what had happened._ _To his credit, Wally just nodded. Jay didn't miss the relief in the kid's eyes as his shoulders relaxed, and he settled in beside Jay on the couch and let the older man read to him. Lightly Jay stroked the red head's hair beside him, until Wally eventually fell asleep. His energy was burnt out from their little scare. Jay stayed beside the kid, in deep thought, still petting his head. That was how Joan found them a half hour later._

* * *

Barry listened to the story with growing frustration. Just great. Iris was pale as she sat beside him, and Joan looked unfazed, but her eyes were troubled. Either Joan had already heard the story, or she was just that unflappable. Both were strong possibilities.

"So, what does that mean?" asked Iris slowly.

"It means that each time he goes into upper speeds, he's going to get an attack like that," said Jay softly, "I need to run more tests, but the idea is pretty simple. Every time Wally uses his speed, he's going to get an aftershock, probably matching the momentum he used earlier, until he burns out of energy or regains control. Whether the his hit occurs immediately after using his speed or not is still undetermined, but we'll have to play it by ear. There's also the fact that it could just be in higher speeds and there's a limit. There's a lot of theory we're working with."

"So, that means he can't run," said Barry, his own fear striking at his heart. A speedster who couldn't run was worse than a speedster without his legs. At least without your legs the temptation wouldn't exist. To be perfectly healthy and able, and yet be unable to run, that would be the worst kind of torture.

"I don't know," said Jay heavily.

"Isn't there anyone who can provide a second opinion?" asked Joan, speaking up for the first time, her eyes still troubled, but less so. "Weren't you trying to get in contact with the others?"

"I'm hoping they'll have answers," said Jay with a nod, "But we're such a small community as it is that the possibility of the other guys having any more answers than I do is unlikely."

"I- I worked with the Atom before," said Barry suddenly, "I bet if I gave him a sample of Wally's DNA he could test it against his experiments with mine."

"That's not a bad plan," said Jay with a relieved sigh, and then a stern expression, "Did you talk to your acquaintance who can get the documents to move the kid into a specialized program?"

"He's working on it as we speak," said Barry with a smile, glad something was working out.

"So he's still in high-school then?" asked Joan curiously. 

"The program is simple," said Iris with a nod, still pale and shaken as she spoke, almost distantly with her eyes glazed over, "He's going to be placed in the Special Education program, under the claim that he has dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. If the speed attack's are an issue, then we'll have to create another false claim, but the idea is that he'd be in special classes and relearning control within them. Jay would become a certified teacher and work with Wally during school hours about regaining control and therapy. Jay would run through the basics of the curriculum with Wally as well."

"And then when he's got control, he'll return to the normal school system as a grade nine student in his Honors classes with occasional mentoring from Jay," added Barry with a small smile, "That way he's not missing school and he's in the system. Home-school was an option, but that would just isolate the kid, and we don't need to put more stress on his parents once they find out."

"Don't you think it's time to tell them?" asked Joan sternly. She hadn't ever mentioned her feelings on the matter, but Barry was now starting to get the sense that she disapproved greatly of their decision, and he suddenly felt a little ashamed.

"When the time is right," said Iris, her mouth set in a firm line as she clenched her cup in her hand, almost crushing it.

"These are a lot of decisions you two are making that  _should_  have parental approval," said Joan gently, looking at the both of them with sympathy. The unspoken words hung loud and clear in the air.

"After the anniversary," said Barry with a tight nod.

Joan pursed her lips, but didn't say anything. Her disapproval was clear enough. And Barry couldn't help but hope that Joan would be wrong just this once.


	9. The Arrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little backstory into the Arrow Family and how they formed. Roy and Oliver's relationship. Brief Robin cameo.

When Roy had first moved in with Oliver Queen, he had been nothing but polite, distant and quiet. That went to pieces shortly after their first real conversation. After their first month together as Speedy and Green Arrow, he had discovered that Oliver's attempts at bonding were stupid, that the man was stubborn as a pig, that he had a Robin-Hood fetish, and that half the time, he was about as 'parental' as a twelve-year old. Not only was Oliver undisciplined and quirky, he was nothing like the serious and stern, but kindhearted Brave Bow.

And that was how Roy had found himself falling into a comfortable relationship with a billionaire, and coming to respect an entirely unpredictable man. On one hand, Ollie was a complete playboy with a streak of irresponsibility as long as Route Six. On the other, he was passionate about the "little people", about his job as a hero, and about completely odd liberal and hippie things that other people couldn't care less about.

Roy respected the hell out of the man. He had a faint admiration for the man. And slowly, the tough Navajo raised teenager let himself accept the man as his 'parental figure'. He wasn't a dad. Roy had enough father figures to last him a lifetime in his own father and Brave Bow. But Ollie was close to what made a good dad. And hopefully, he'd be around a lot longer than the previous two.

Despite his comfort with Ollie, there was a part of Roy that also knew the man wasn't respectable, admirable, or parental. And it stemmed from his greatest flaw. His secrecy. Ollie had so many secrets, and unlike Batman, he didn't put them in a computer that Roy could just hack. He kept them all in his mind and made Roy struggle to understand him. Sometimes, Roy wondered if Ollie trusted him, but he'd never ask the man directly.

Hal said he shouldn't think too much about it. Roy had brought it up once, when Ollie had dumped him in Coast to patrol because he was headed on a mission. It had come up because Roy had noticed that whenever he asked Ollie a question that he wasn't comfortable answering, Ollie would tell him a secret that had nothing to do with Ollie. It was how he'd found out Batman was Bruce Wayne. It was how he had discovered that Hal had also lost his dad at a young age. Ollie's verbal filter was shut tight about himself, and he distracted people by talking about other people or things. It was how Roy had learnt about the Watchtower.

Hal said it was just how Ollie was. It had nothing to do with trust or a lack of it. Ollie was just raised that way. And he was private and paranoid. All heroes were, in a way, but they expressed it differently. Hal had openly said that his privacy and paranoia affected his dating, and he found he wasn't able to make a solid relationship with any woman, even Carol who he had loved for so long now, because he wasn't able to trust anyone that approached him to love him for Hal and not Green Lantern.

Maybe that was why Roy had managed to respect Hal so much. Because Hal was straight up with him about everything.

However, it didn't stop him from wondering sometimes about Ollie and why he was never as straight forward.

The biggest issue that they'd experienced when it came to Ollie's inability to trust people with his life had risen about four months ago. Roy had been living with the archer for a year, training to become a sidekick. He still wasn't good enough for the streets yet, but Ollie had assured him he'd get there. And then Ollie had started going out more, and at odd times of the day.

Roy hadn't thought much of it. He'd assumed it was a case. But Ollie wasn't telling him anything about it, and that irked him. But Roy was a smart kid, and a quick Google search combined with the annoying kids at school who liked to talk trash about Ollie in an attempt to start a fight with him had lead to the cause.

Dinah Lance.

The blonde woman in the picture was unfamiliar at first, and a background search brought up very little about her. She was apparently a supposed counsellor in Gotham for adolescents, which made no sense as to how Ollie knew her. Nevertheless, she was a babe, and though a little rougher to look at then the delicate and sexy models Ollie hung around with occasionally when the mood struck, but she was hot. So he'd concluded Ollie was dating her.

Yet, despite knowing that Roy suspected something, the man never confessed. Which lead to subsequent fights, his capture by Lex Luthor, and more fights. It was Robin who'd managed to help Roy come to a conclusion about the lack of explanation Ollie was offering for his disappearances.

_"Dude," said the ten year old, as the two sat with matching expressions of boredom on the side of the dance floor to some rich old snob's gala. Ollie was only here as a representative of Queen Industries and their subsidy, STAR labs._

_"What?" asked Roy, scowl set._

_"That's so stupid," said Dick with that air of knowing he reserved solely for discussing his experiences as Robin, "Just because he isn't telling you he's dating someone doesn't mean you should be pissed at him."_

_"Did you hear a thing I said?" asked Roy with a growl._

_"I used to get mad too, when Bruce disappeared for the night. I knew he was with a woman, it was plastered on the news. But he'd never acknowledge it either. Alfred eventually said it was because Bruce didn't want me to expect anything from the women, and because he didn't want to expose me to women who'd try and take advantage of me to get to him," explained Dick casually, "He just wanted to be sure before he told me."_

_"What the fuck does that even mean?" asked Roy, staring at the ten year old._

_"Look, the archer you stayed with, Brave Bow, or even your dad, they didn't date much, right?" asked Dick impatiently._

_"'Course not, my dad was too busy and Brave Bow was too old," said Roy with a snort, and then a shudder at the thought of either of them dating. Ollie dated enough women to cover all three of them._

_"But Ollie isn't like them. He dates all the time. If you met some random chick that he brought around, you'd think they were going to get married or something. And if you liked her, then you'd want them to get married. But Ollie and Bruce don't want to get married until they're like a thousand percent sure they love the woman," said Dick easily, "And that means we don't get to see the woman until they're at least a hundred percent sure because what if we get hurt that Ollie didn't marry her? Or what if they try to use us?"_

_Roy considered this, and for the sake of argument, rebutted, "I'm too smart to be used."_

_"It's a good thing," said Dick stubbornly, not letting Roy win despite the fact that Roy was five years older, and if he sat on Dick the kid would probably die, "So suck it up and smile at him. Now, play Super Mario Bros with me. And if you're nice, I'll hack you the new version of COD they're developing."_

_"You're an annoying little shit," said Roy with a growl, but nonetheless, he let Dick pull the game up on his phone, and let the kid beat the shit out of his character._

It was after that conversation that Roy let the Dinah thing rest. And then, a month after he'd been Speedy, he met Black Canary. Who Ollie acted like a moron around, and called pretty bird, and generally smiled too much with. And he'd figured it out and openly asked if the two were fucking despite the fact that he was on a mission and that it was rude. Hal had laughed so hard that Ollie had almost stabbed his mouth with an arrow. Dinah had casually said they were, and then asked Roy if he wanted to hang out to get to know each other.

Dinah was kind of fucking awesome.

After a night of Chinese take-out, and Ollie throwing panicked glances between the sullen Roy and overly-happy Hal and the cool-as-fucking-ice Canary, Roy had decided to give the woman a chance. Two weeks later, Ollie had dragged Roy for a conversation.

_"So, what do you think?" asked Ollie, as the two sat on his balcony and he drank a glass of whiskey and let Roy indulge in a small can of beer, that was barely enough to get Roy buzzed, but the gesture was nonetheless appreciated. Roy only got alcohol for serious-adult conversations._

_"Think of who?" asked Roy, staring out to the sea while Ollie acted like a kid in trouble._

_"Of Dinah," said Ollie nervously, "Did you like her? Do you want to meet her again? She wants to take you and me for lunch. Without Hal."_

_Roy stared at Ollie in surprise. Then he realized that this was a really fucking serious moment._

_Well then._

_Slowly, he asked, "What's she doing with a shitty old man like you?"_

_"Shitty old man?!_ _Fuck-_ _I'll have you know- She's twenty-one!_ _And I'm only twenty-nine! That's not weird. Is it?! Oh fuck, it totally is. She's going to wake up and realize I'm old," said Ollie, running a hand through his blonde hair, and Roy felt a little annoyed at Ollie's sudden lack of confidence. Ollie was never nervous about a woman._

_"Shut up," said Roy with a slight growl, "You're not that fucking old. And that wasn't the question. I asked why the fuck is she dating you of all people? She's pretty hot, and she's Black Canary. Why would she want anything to do with you?"_

_Oliver stopped for a second, and thought about the question carefully, before taking a sip of his whiskey and answering, "She thinks I'm funny, or so she said. And that I'm brave and essentially a good guy."_

_"How'd you two get together? I get that you're heroes and shit, but well, there has to be more to it." continued Roy, sipping at his own beer as he watched the sun setting._

_"She knows a lot of the old guys from the Justice Society, cause her mom was a part of it. Then her uncle or whatever, the old guy, Wildcat, he got in a spot of trouble and I helped her out. After that, she agreed to go with me to dinner," said Ollie easily, smiling fondly at the memory._

_"She needed help?" asked Roy, a bit put out at the idea of heroes needing help. It seemed so weird._

_"More or less," said Ollie with a nod._

_"And you asked her to dinner and not breakfast? Wait- How long have you known each other?" asked Roy with a start._

_"I asked her to dinner," said Ollie, grinning wolfishly, "Not breakfast. You didn't think I was capable of doing that, did you? No worries, neither did Hal. He wanted to record the moment. But we've known each other for, I don't know, two years now? I had flirted a lot with her for the last year, but I only really felt anything real for her after she kicked my ass while sparring a couple months back, but she wasn't interested until I helped her out with Wildcat."_

_"So how long have you two been fucking-dating- what the fuck are you doing?" asked Roy uneasily, thinking of how much longer Dinah had known Ollie than Roy had known Ollie, and wondering if the man had ever thought of her when he was hanging out with Roy. He probably had, the horn-dog._

_"We're dating," said Ollie with a nod, "Four months, technically five, but she went off-world for a month so we didn't start anything until a month after the thing with Wildcat. And I like her a lot kid."_

_"How do you know?" asked Roy, unsure._

_"I just, well, I know. She's different from all the women I've been with, and she doesn't care that I'm Oliver Queen or that I'm Green Arrow. She just said she'd kick my ass either way if I tried to get beyond first base on the first date," said Oliver with a chuckle._

_"Oh," said Roy, shifting a bit, "Well, she seems pretty cool. Why the hell didn't you mention her earlier?"_

_"Women," said Oliver, suddenly a lot more sober, "Are a fucking enigma Roy, never forget that. And most women are absolute bitches. My mother, she was a fabulous woman. Made the best fucking chili in the universe. But after she died, I never could find a woman that loved as openly as my mother. And hell kid, you've never had a real mom. I'm not about to introduce you to the first woman that comes along and scar you for life."_

_This was the first time Roy had ever heard Oliver talk about his parents. He never brought up_ _the late Queens. Roy knew the story of their deaths, and he knew that it still killed Ollie on the inside,_ _but they just didn't talk about parents. Roy never talked about his father or Brave Bow, and Ollie never spoke about Moira and Robert Queen._ _This was serious. Their first real, serious conversation after nine months of living together._ _And the reason was because he thought any girl he dated could become Roy's mom-figure. The feeling inside was warm and fuzzy and he totally ignored the fact that Ollie had kind-of-sort-of said Roy was like a son to him. He'd save it for the next time Ollie kept a big fucking secret from him._

_"_ _So, Dinah does that?" asked Roy curiously._

_"I don't know," said Oliver_ _with a lick of his lips, "But she's just as tough as mum was, and she's sweet too. I – I hope she can love like her."_

_"_ _Can you love her?" asked Roy, suddenly feeling uneasy, and he wasn't sure why._

_"I- I don't know," said Ollie, looking just as uncomfortable and afraid, "I- I really want to."_

_"Have you ever loved someone before?" asked Roy, feeling concerned._

_"Once, I thought I did," said Oliver darkly, his eyes burning with a strange emotion that Roy didn't quite recognize, "Just, be careful when you love a woman kid. They're enigmas. And sometimes, what you thought they were and what they really are isn't the same."_

_"Oh," said Roy quietly. "_ _Are you like- starting a family with her? I mean- are you guys going to have kids or something?"_

_"I'm not father material Roy," said Ollie hollowly, "Kids deserve better than me."_

_"You took me in," argued Roy, feeling strange as he stared at Ollie, and wondering what the hell that loaded statement meant._

_"Yeah," said Ollie, grinning a bit brighter at that, "And I'm doing okay, right?"_

_Despite the strangely light way that he posed the question, Roy could tell it was a serious moment. So he did what he did best when a moment had been serious too long for the Arrows, and snorted as he said, "I'm still around aren't I?"_

_And Ollie grinned, looking pleased at the statement._

Two weeks later, Roy was being lead around by Dinah through a mall because his clothes looked like he'd outgrown them, and because dinner was lovely, and because he was determined to get her to teach him how she managed to shut Ollie up with just a look. The blonde grinned at him from across the racks as Ollie walked over with a hideous green hoodie themed to match Green Arrow, and suddenly Roy found himself smiling a little as well. Ollie was a secretive idiot, but he wasn't all that bad.

* * *

Those memories, combined with the fact that the Flash hadn't even told Ollie about his new sidekick, had made Roy feel generous enough to forgive Ollie for not mentioning the existence of the new young hero.

A metahuman.

He wondered what the kid would be like, in his spare time. He questioned if the kid was a stickler for training like he and Robin were. If the kid was decent. If he was arrogant. If he was a "stick in the mud" like the Flash. If he was idealistic. If he was pessimistic. Just the sort of things to think about when you know about someone new entering the work force.

At least the kid was an entire city away. If he was an annoying, self-righteous country shit, he'd avoid him like the plague. It worked for Batman and Hal's relationship.

That was how Roy found himself in the kitchen, as Dinah the not-serious-but-still-hanging-around girlfriend directed the caterers around. This was the first time the Flash and his wife were coming for dinner. Roy had met the Flash before, for a mission or two, and he knew Ollie and Barry were pretty good friends, but Barry had responsibilities and a family in Central, whereas Ollie was bound by his civic duties, his career and Roy to Star. Hal had a lot more freedom to go between the cities, with nothing but an apartment and love for his city keeping him attached to Coast.

"So, what's all the food for?" asked Roy casually. He'd learnt long ago that Dinah didn't appreciate vulgarity in the same manner as Ollie.

"Have you ever seen Barry eat?" asked Dinah with a small smirk, "Trust me, he and the kid will finish anything that we don't, especially if the kid has Barry's appetite."

Roy stared at the food. Ollie had talked about making chilli, but had quickly been given a list of chores Dinah needed done, and pulled away by the Justice League for a quick diplomatic mission. Dinah could be sneaky when she wanted.

Nevertheless, the chilli might have been better than this frou frou stuff. Roy still found rich people food strange and weird and dangerous to try. They ate weird things like fish eggs and frogs and snails. Normal burgers and fries just didn't cut it.

"Where's it from?" asked Roy, glaring at one of the cooks who had a scruffy beard and too square glasses and was staring a bit too long at Dinah in her yoga pants.

"It's from the Avenue over in the Old Town area. One of the best restaurants in Star," said Dinah casually, sipping at her coffee as she watched the caterers begin the cooking process. "We're going to be eating like kings tonight."

"Good thing Ollie isn't cooking, huh?" asked Roy sarcastically.

"Oh shut up and get dressed," said Dinah with a self-satisfied smirk.

* * *

It took Roy about an hour to dress. He'd been sidetracked by his bow and arrow, and ended up polishing them. He hadn't even bothered with cleaning his room. As long as mini-Flash was impressed by the bow and arrows, the rest didn't matter.

Roy carefully took the time to shower and dress. Dinah had pursed her lips when she'd seen him in the black shirt with a the words "Real men make twins" stamped across it. Ollie thought it was funny. His red hair was still wet, dripping actually, and he was wearing dark jeans.

"Do you have to wear a shirt like that? Wally's just a kid," said Dinah with a huff, "He won't get your attempt at humour."

"It was clean," said Roy defensively, not seeing the problem, "And besides, he's going into high school. What weirdo hasn't heard this kind of stuff?"

"He's twelve Roy," said Dinah stubbornly, as the last of the chefs left the kitchen, "And I won't have you corrupting Barry's nephew with innuendos."

"He's- What?!" demanded Roy, "You- Twelve?! Fuck! He's probably some nerdy little shit and now you want me to spend the evening with him?!"

Dinah's eyes narrowed, and Roy bristled and crossed his arms before stomping away to change his shirt and muttering about Ollie and his awful choice in women.

* * *

When Roy returned, he was wearing a shirt that said "Real men love cats" (it was part of a deal and it was more appropriate so take that bird-woman!) and Dinah was out of the kitchen. So Roy took the opportunity to text Robin a message about he new sidekick. The two had exchanged brief words. Robin knew about the kid after hacking a few files, but then he'd been caught and appropriately grounded and probably banned from those files. So neither of them knew anything about this kid.

It was strange, but Robin wasn't like a ten year old kid. He was cool. He knew the street life. He knew tragedy and that life just wasn't fair. He wasn't spoiled. And the little shit threw a mean right hook. Robin gave that typical little shit pout at Roy about the fact that Roy was meeting the new sidekick first, but really, Batman wouldn't let Robin meet anyone without a full security check on the person and their ancestors tracing all the fucking way to the 18th century. So the kid would have to sit back and listen to Roy.

Ha.

"You dressed kid?" asked Ollie, entering as he buttoned up his green shirt and spraying on some cologne. Roy had just spritzed himself in some deodorant instead of the fancy crap Ollie used.

"Yeah," said Roy easily, "Robin's pretty pissed that I get to meet the new kid first."

"Don't pick on the little people," said Ollie, half-serious, as he indicated Roy should follow him to the dining room, straight to the bar. From a secret locked panel in the lower left corner of the bar, Ollie pulled out the stuff he saved for friends. Hal and Ollie's favourite whiskey, Knob Creek was set up first. Roy moved to set the glasses and ice-tray, the two working in tandem silence.

"Aren't they late?" asked Roy, glancing at the clock, and Ollie snorted.

"I told him six Roy," said Ollie with a smirk, "He'll be here within the next twenty minutes or so, probably."

It was only seven twelve. Weird. You'd think the Flash would be on time. Roy shook his head as he swiped the glasses down with a clean cloth. Ollie was pulling out some fancy shit wine bottle and a case of beers.

"Are the drinks ready?" asked Dinah, as she entered, her blonde hair pulled into an effortless bun. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt with a fluffy white blouse and stark red lips. Ollie was already eye-molesting her.

"Down boy," said Roy, jabbing Ollie with his elbow and earning a backhand smack on his arm.

"Is the food set?" asked Dinah, ignoring their antics.

"They left it in there," said Roy, pointing to the large buffet style set up on the large dining table.

"Good good," said Dinah, just as the door bell rang, "And right on time too!"

They were late.

Neither Dinah nor Ollie noticed as they headed to the door. Roy sighed, and decided he may as well suck it up and with a grumble, he followed the group to the door.


	10. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Wally are finally introduced.

Friday was unexpected. Barry had anticipated some sort of attack, some kind of mission, or even just a new case at work to toss up their schedules. Iris, who had been writing articles and reporting on the Justice League's First Anniversary every day amid general news, had even managed to wrangle a night off despite the pile up of reports on her desk. Better, Ollie and Dinah were free for the night. It was almost too perfect.

But of course, they were still running late.

Hal had offered to come by and pick them up to head to Star via zeta, and then he'd join their meeting. Barry was pretty sure he just didn't want to be left out, not that Hal could begrudge him that. Wally was still unaware of who he was meeting tonight. Barry had simply said it was an old friend of his.

Mary had called earlier this morning.

It left a bad taste in Barry's mouth to hear from the Wests so soon after their conversation with Joan. She hadn't bothered to talk to Iris or Barry. Instead, she'd brusquely asked for Wally, and the two had spoken for an hour or so. Wally had even spoken with Rudy. It had upset Barry to see how happy the phone call made Wally, especially since neither parent had called since Wally had come to stay with Allens. They had let their anger with Barry and Iris get in their way of talking to their own _son_. It just made Barry feel angrier with them, and helpless too.

Because Wally was happy with them. Because they were Wally's  _parents_. No matter how awful they were. It just wasn't fair to the kid. And maybe, it just wasn't fair to him either. He shoved that thought aside into his corner of dark West thoughts, not wanting to linger on it. He had more important things to do right now.

"Are you ready Barry?" hollered Hal from the living room, as Barry came out, freshly showered, hair dried and combed neat.

He was dressed in a nice green sweater, that both matched Iris's eyes but complimented his skin. His slacks were corduroy and comfortable, and had his Flash ring tucked in the pocket. Hal hadn't bothered to dress neat. Baggy jeans, a ratty old Pink Floyd t-shirt, and leather jacket.

"Just waiting on Iris and Wally," said Barry with a small grin, "Beer?"

"Already started," said Hal, plucking out a can of Budweiser from the ground.

"And stopping now," said Iris, as she came out of their bedroom, wearing a tidy blue dress, fit slim along body and hose-covered legs. Her red hair had been blow dried to fall straight around her face, and she was wearing a nice silver necklace Barry remembered her buying for Christmas one year. She looked lovely.

Behind her trailed Wally, who she had been helping get dressed. He had been forced into a pair of black jeans, with a blue and yellow plaid shirt over a Green Lantern themed t-shirt. His red hair was tussled. It was pointless to comb it since Wally would just undo it or Barry would accidentally mess it up by ruffling the kid's hair.

"Damn," said Hal with a wolfish grin, "It  _still_  blows my mind to think Barry ended up married to a babe like you."

"Flatterer," said Iris with a light laugh, as she moved to grab a light grey shawl from the coat closet, which was really a secondary closet for Iris to stuff her accessories and shoes.

"So who are we meeting Uncle B?" asked Wally, eagerly as he slipped beside Hal, who automatically dropped an arm around the kid.

"Should I tell him?" asked Barry to Hal, feeling a bit mischievous. Iris laughed softly in the background.

"Give him a hint," said Hal with a wide grin, "Let's see if he figures it out on his own."

"We're going to Star City," said Barry automatically.

Wally paused, considering this for a moment, before his eyes widened in realization. Then without a pause, he asked in a quiet, hopeful whisper, "Green Arrow and Speedy?"

"And Black Canary," said Hal with a conspiratorial look, "She's dating Green Arrow."

"No way! Really?! We're meeting Green Arrow and _Speedy_  and Black Canary?!" cried Wally, staring both his uncles in awe, visibly trembling with excitement.

"Whenever we get out the door we are," said Iris with a pointed look, "We're already running late!"

Wally was the first one out the door.

* * *

It was always a relief to visit Star City. Despite Ollie being a billionaire, he didn't stay in a mansion-castle hybrid like Batman, but rather in a more accessible penthouse suite smack-dab in the middle of Star. The zeta tube brought their group directly into an alley-way by the building.

Oliver stayed in the core of the city, close to the Near South area of the city. It was where the richer crowd lived, and nobody in Star had as much money as Ollie. As the group moved, Wally was oddly silent. He'd been buzzing with excitement, questioning Hal about Speedy as they moved. Hal had answered the questions. Yes Speedy was awesome. Yes he was older than Wally, he was fifteen to be precise, and in high school. Yes Speedy was an archer, and a faster shot than Green Arrow, and yes he was the ward of billionaire Oliver Queen. His name was Roy Harper. After those questions, Wally had gone quiet, particularly after hearing the age of the fellow hero, and his billionaire status.

"It'll be okay," said Iris gently, petting her nephew's head as they reached the lobby of the building Oliver stayed in.

It was impressive, to say the least. The left wall had a waterfall on it, leading to an aquarium with legit fish like angelfish, rainbow fish, sword-tails and more. The colorful reds, golds, blues and greens swayed together, moving through the tropical set water with easy, and Wally stared in awe. Behind the front lobby was large bamboo stalks, and the floors were apparently built from recycled material. Eco-friendly for the rich.

"C'mon kid," said Hal, after exchanging a few words with the man at the front desk.

The group was ushered into an elevator in corner of the lobby. It had a glass wall overlooking the wide Pacific Coast as they entered, and Iris ruffled Wally's hair as he stared at the sun, looming over the bright blue waters, meeting the sandy beaches that seemed so close yet so far in the elevator. They reached the twelfth floor penthouse, where Oliver Queen stayed, and exited out into a hallway.

The hallway was more expensive then anything Wally had seen, with plush blue carpeting, bamboo paneled walls and a large looming door set in the dead center of the hall. Hal walked through as though he owned the place, Uncle Barry beside him, and came to the door, ringing the doorbell with ease. Auntie Iris directed Wally with a hand on his shoulder, smoothing out the stray red strands of hair on his head.

The man who answered the door was tall, but shorter than Uncle Barry and Hal. He had sparkly blue eyes, with blonde hair that was long and gelled back slightly. His blonde goatee was neat and trimmed around his chin. Wally immediately recognized him from both the news as Oliver Queen, and in his well-muscled frame, more muscular than either Hal or Barry, especially in his arms, as  _Green Arrow._

"Barry! Hal! C'mon in! Iris, god you're smokin', and this the mini-Flash?" he asked, ushering them into the largest apartment Wally had ever seen.

"Ye-Yeah!" squeaked Wally, gazing at Ollie in mild awe, his face turning red at the attention he was getting from  _Green Arrow_.

"All by freak accident, of course," said Hal with a sigh, "I was hoping to enroll him in the Corps. Course, there's still a chance."

"Shut up," said Barry with a grin.

"Well, I think meta-human kids make a great addition to the superhero community," said another voice, and Kid Flash turned to see a beautiful blonde woman enter the living room area.

She was tall, statuesque, taller than her partner for sure. On her feet were red flats, that matched her stark red lip. Her blonde hair was pinned up, and by all means, she seemed to be a friendly face. But there was something dangerous about her blue eyes and in her muscles legs. Her face, the blonde hair, it was all too reminiscent of Black Canary. Holy crap. This was  _Black Canary_!

Hal laughed and hugged her, "Dinah! Where's Roy?"

"Over here," said a sullen voice, and out of the shadows came a red-headed, tall and lanky teenager. His shirt said he liked cats, which was weird but it didn't matter because holy shit that was  _Speedy_!

"Nice shirt," snickered Hal, and Wally just stared.

It was so weird to see Uncle Hal talking-  _Oh my god that was Speedy!_  Wally took a step towards Iris, who had been watching her nephew's face with a bright smile. The smile slipped as he started to tremble in excitement, already speeding up to the point of vibration. Jay had mentioned Wally had started vibrating today when he was excited, but to see it happen scared the hell out of the red-haired reporter.

"Wally!" she gasped, reaching out to touch him.

The group turned to the twelve-year old, who flushed but continued to vibrate in place, staring in awe at the group of heroes. Barry was by his side in a second, placing a hand on his shoulder and Wally stared as the two exchanged words that were barely understandable to the average ear. And then Wally stopped vibrating.

"Sorry about that," he said sheepishly, staring at the reddened wood below him from the kinetic energy. Bamboo flooring in the penthouse.

"Guess you really are a mini-Flash then," said Ollie in surprise, "How come you don't do that Barry?"

"High emotions trigger it," said Flash dryly, "I haven't vibrated like that since I just started out. Wally's still young though, he'll outgrow it."

"I solved the mystery to why Iris keeps him around!" said Hal with a wide grin, and for a second, everyone stared.

Then Green Arrow burst into cackles, with Speedy coughing to hide his own chuckles. Black Canary was biting her lower lip, but grinning as well. Barry's face was red as he glared at Hal, but Iris smoothly replied, "It has its perks."

Wally stayed silent, a little lost as Green Arrow- Ollie, and Hal howled in further laughter, and Speedy-Roy gave a surprised glance to Auntie Iris over that remark. Black Canary- Dinah giggled as well, particularly at Uncle Barry who was spluttering.

"Come on inside," said Dinah with a sigh, "Hal and Ollie will keep bothering Barry all day, might as well get a seat before they really get going."

On the right of the door was a large, spacious living room area, with sleek modern-style black leather couches and two large walls encapsulating the living room and overlooking the coast. A balcony ran along the windows, with plants breathing on them. A large home-theater style television, with a 65'' T.V ran along the third wall of the room, surrounded by a home audio system that was as sleek as the thin television pressed into the wall. Wally followed his aunt to the couch, feeling a little self-conscious that his beat up old converse were sticking to a sleek white rug below his feet. Plants dotted along the sides of the walls. On the last wall was an old Robin-hood movie poster, framed. As well as a long-bow, more for decoration than use.

"Anyways, pleace have a seat," said Black Canary warmly, before coming to sit beside Wally on the other side of the black couch, "I'm Dinah Lance, and you two must be Iris and Wally. Barry's mentioned the both of you quite a bit."

"It's nice to finally meet the infamous Black Canary," said Aunt Iris, shaking the offered hand, as Wally squeaked something too fast for anyone else to pick up, judging from the stares he got.

"Slow down Wally," said Aunt Iris softly, a small smirk on her lips as she took his hand in hers.

"Right," he swallowed, "Er- Hi!"

He was shaking hands with  _Black Canary_. Oh wow!  _Oh my god!_  Black Canary, for her part, seemed amused by his enthusiasm, before he shuffled back towards his aunt. This was all a lot to take in.

"And I'm Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow," said a voice from behind Wally, and then he was shaking hands and letting go and he was never ever washing his hand again.

"Roy," said Ollie pointedly, to the teen who'd sat across from the couch Wally was on, and was staring at the scene.

Wally turned to face Roy. There was no way to deny it, but Speedy was  _really_  cool. Speedy's name was Roy. And he was so  _cool_. You could make out his muscles from the way his arms moved, and his eyes were cold and he didn't have dorky freckles and nobody had ever probably tried to shove his head down a toilet. He sat there looking calm as ever, feet on the coffee table until Green Arrow kicked his legs and shuffled beside him on the black couch. Uncle Hal slipped onto an arm-chair, grinning easily as he held a glass of whiskey. Uncle Barry was sitting on the other arm chair, and Wally was sitting beside  _Black Canary_.

Holy-

"Yeah, er, I'm Roy, nice to meet you guys," said Speedy awkwardly, waving a hand at Iris and Wally.

"Nice to meet you as well Roy," said Iris pleasantly, as Wally nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment though his internal monologue was noting the depth and tone of Roy's voice, mourning his high-pitched, cracking voice.

"Wally," said Uncle Barry, a slight warning in his voice.

Crap. His leg had been twitching too fast. Uncle Hal was snickering, as Green Arrow kindly passed the moment by with, "Can I get you ladies anything to drink? Wally?"

"I'll grab it Ollie. A glass of wine, Iris?" responded Dinah kindly.

"I wouldn't mind a glass," said Iris pleasantly, "White please. Wally?"

"'M fine," he muttered back, focusing on not making a fool of himself because he was in Green Arrow's house and Black Canary was sitting beside him and he had shaken their hands.

"You weren't this excited to meet me," said Hal with a mock pout, taking the vacated seat of Black Canary, who immediately headed off to grab the drinks.

Wally didn't realize it slipped from his lips until Green Arrow and Uncle Barry started laughing as he replied, "Because you're just Uncle Hal."

"Just Uncle Hal?! I am a valued member of the Green Lantern Corps buddy!" said Hal, looking offended as he reached out to tickle Wally, who scowled and smacked Hal's hands away, trying to keep the bubbles of laughter in.

"Hal!" said Iris glaringly, as the struggle between the two landed in her lap.

"Sorry Iris," said Hal, not looking the least bit apologetic as he pulled Wally back up and said dramatically, "I'll get you later kid."

"Nuh uh," said Wally with a grin, "I'm too fast for you!"

"I'll recruit Barry," said Hal easily, "You'll help me, won't you Barry?"

"I like Wally more than I like you," said Barry calmly as ever, giving Wally a wink as Hal scowled.

"Traitor," said Hal, looking outraged, "And to think I liked you more than Ollie!"

"Oh shut up Hal," said Ollie with a smirk, "And admit that nobody likes you."

"Bastard," said Hal, taking a drink of his whiskey, as Ollie sipped his own with a fond smile.

"Already at the pet name stage?" asked Dinah as she entered, smirking slightly.

"Only you love me, right pretty bird?" teased Hal, as Ollie glared at him.

"Call me that again and I'll show you how I much I adore you Hal," said Dinah threateningly, as she handed Iris a glass of wine and sat down in her chair. "So how's the training going Wally?"

And like that, all eyes were on Wally again, and he swallowed three times in the span of a second before gathering his thoughts and spouting out, "It'sreallygoodJay's _really_ nice-

"Speed talking," said Uncle Barry warmly.

"Oh- Again?" asked Wally, frowning a little. He'd never speed talked this much before today, well at least, not on accident.

"Match their speeds kid," said Uncle Barry gently.

"Er- I- Good," he said lamely, now back down to a normal speed, as Aunt Iris held his hand over her wrist, "Jay's a good teacher."

"You do that a lot," commented Roy blankly, "Does that always happen?"

"Do what?" he asked, panicking inwardly at making a bad impression on  _Speedy._

"Talk fast," said Roy with a shrug.

"Only when he's excited, embarrassed, or nervous," said Hal quickly, as Wally flushed, not realizing how dorky he must have been coming across.

"Huh," said Roy, offering no further comment. Wally felt decidedly uncomfortable again, and Dinah gave Roy a sharp look, before smiling gently and prodding on, "That's wonderful to hear. I haven't seen Jay since my mother retired from the Justice Society."

"You know Jay?" asked Wally, surprised.

"My mother was the first Black Canary," said Dinah with a small nod, "I was the first meta to grow up with so many heroes. A strong support system is the best way to get through it. I can only imagine how different your scenario is, but I remember when I first got my powers, I didn't talk for another five years."

Her eyes glazed over at the story, and Ollie reached over from the couch to pet her wrist gently. She smiled, while Wally looked thoughtful. He'd never really seen his powers as a problem. But they sort of were, weren't they? Sure it was frustrating, but he loved every minute of being special. Of being different. Especially since he knew what they would eventually be used for.

"But," began Wally nervously, "I mean, aren't you- I mean- It got better, right?"

Dinah smiled warmly, and her entire face seemed to light up as she said, "So much better. It's worth it in the end. It always is."

Wally beamed at that. He knew it would be worth it, but it was nice hearing it from Black Canary. The moment didn't last too long, as Ollie suddenly smiled widely, and said, "Well, Wally, why don't you let Roy give you the grand tour of the place? Roy?"

"Yeah, sure," said Roy, scowling at Ollie.

Wally's eyes widened, and he squirmed. But Hal was pushing him up, and suddenly he was following the taller red-head out of the living room and ohmygodhewasgoingtobe _alone_ withSpeedy! This was like that dream of being naked in school. Speedy already thought he was an idiot! He definitely needed help now.


	11. Chats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinah leads the discussion on Meta-adjustment. Roy and Wally bond.

After the kids left the room, Iris and Barry immediately switched their focus to Dinah. That was the reason for coming here after all. More than just an ordinary sit down dinner, it was about learning how to help Wally. And this was what this all boiled down to. Dinah, for her part, seemed to smile widely at them, looking pleased.

"He's sweet," she said immediately, "Very cute. He fits right in as Barry's sidekick. His eager to please personality screams Central. I'd ask where you found him, but well, I already know the answer."

The tension in the room abated, and they all grinned. It was strange, and Iris was filled with pride at how well received her Wally was. She ignored that motherly feeling for the matter of focusing on Dinah. This was about Wally. About doing the right thing for Wally. Not about her.

"God he's so eager," said Ollie, amazed, "I don't think Roy was ever that eager. And he was fucking  _thrilled_  to be a hero. And he adores you two, it's clear as day. And he looks _just_  like Iris. Man, I was expecting a Barry-clone, y'know, blonde hair, blue eyes, a bit dopey- and then it turned out to be an Iris-clone."

They laughed a bit more at that, and the comfortable atmosphere melded as Iris took a sip of the wine. It was fabulous, and she wasn't surprised at the aroma. It was after all, Oliver Queen's wine.

"So, how is the training going?" asked Dinah to Barry, curious.

"He's like a sponge," said Barry, "Absorbs whatever Jay tells him. The thing is though, he's the opposite of Jay and me, and we're not sure what that means. So a lot of what Jay's teaching him is well, experimental."

Dinah's eyes widened as Barry caught her up on the situation, and she placed her glass down. Iris never liked that look in any person she was interviewing. As though her thoughts were being read aloud, everyone looked uneasy. Dinah pursed her lips, looking displeased as she gathered her thoughts. And then she struck.

"That's- Barry!" said Dinah sharply, "That's a very dangerous situation! Have you brought anyone else into look at his situation?"

Iris wrung her hands together, sinking into the couch. God. It was one thing to know that they were screwing up. It was another thing entirely to hear it from someone. She felt guiltier than she had ever felt.

"Jay says he knows a guy who could help," said Barry uneasily, "And I was thinking of asking Johnny Quick, but Johnny's like a third type of speedster altogether, and retired completely. That's why Jay's holding out for this friend of his."

"Well," said Dinah a little taken aback. She took a deep breath, and once she was calm, she moved the topic onward, "I can't really say much for his training then. But it's always good to start teaching him self-defense without his speed. I know for a fact that if I hadn't started training when I did with Ted, I may never have found my niche. Or even just the confidence to explore my powers. Besides, metas always get sloppy if they rely on their powers too much."

"Isn't it a little early to be thinking of that?" asked Iris, uneasy about Wally learning how to throw punches and doing jiu jitsu in her living room. Though, in the long run, it would benefit him. But still, he was  _so_  young. He didn't have to enter the field for another year, at the least, right?

"Never too early for self-defense. Offense attacks, probably a bit early," said Dinah with a nod, "And speed attacks, far too soon. But self-defense, never."

"And another idea to consider would be to expand his interactions with metas. So far he's just met me, but the more metas he meets, the more comfortable he'll get with the idea of being a meta himself. Right now he's seen speedsters, but he doesn't realize that he's part of a niche of meta. And it's not like there are many speedsters out there to ease him into being a meta. Or to help him see the positives once he starts to focus on the negatives. Right now he's excited about his powers, but someday. Well, someday he'll get scared, regretful and nervous. The only way to get over that fear is through a large support group. If he realizes that he's a part of a broader group, he'll get more comfortable and confident, especially about himself. In the long run, it will definitely help with his shyness," said Dinah, and Iris nodded in agreement.

"We plan to introduce him to Ralph," said Iris easily, glad to be on the same page as Dinah. She absorbed every word the blonde was saying, eager to gather as much data as possible, and meeting metas was relatively harmless in helping Wally through this, "He and Sue are coming by next week to watch Central for Barry during the anniversary celebrations. And possibly John as well, but John's not really a meta being a Green Lantern and all."

"That's a good start," said Dinah, before pursing her lips and saying, "Though Ralph's a bit-

"Eccentric?" supplied Iris, understanding her thoughts easily.

"He's funny!" objected Hal, and both women rolled their eyes as Ollie and Hal traded jokes Ralph had told them, that were most definitely of the dirty kind. It was a wonder how Ralph was married, and that too to  _Sue_  of all people.

"I know this might be a bit uncomfortable," said Dinah suddenly, as she gazed at both of them, "But, well, I was under the impression that Wally's parents would also have come for dinner tonight."

There was a very awkward pause at that. Iris felt herself stiffen. She knew without a doubt Barry was frowning, and Hal let out a very angry snort. Ollie looked highly taken aback, and then ashamed. Hal had probably shared some details, and Ollie probably hadn't relayed those to Dinah.

Well, no time like the present.

"They don't know about this," said Iris frankly, sipping her wine for that liquid courage, "And frankly, we aren't sure when to tell them. They- don't approve of Barry and I. Well, our influence on their son. We wanted to settle things with the anniversary before dropping this bomb on them."

Dinah frowned, and immediately Iris saw the woman who had done a psych degree in school. She watched the blonde draw conclusions from everyone, and then settled on Hal. The weak link in the chain.

"They're fucking awful," said Hal, lips thinned, "And they don't deserve him."

That was enough to be said on that matter, and Iris felt distinctly uncomfortable as she gulped down the rest of the glass and shifted her purse a bit. Barry cleared his throat, and asked, "Well, that's out there."

"I don't think I need to tell you how dangerous the situation is if you're keeping this from his parents," said Dinah disapprovingly, before softening to add, "But if that's what you believe is best, than it's your judgement now. But I'm warning you, metas don't have the best reputation, and in a house with...  _issues_ , their son turning into a metahuman could tip them over the edge. Whatever the edge may be."

"We've," began Barry uncomfortably, "We've thought a little about what they could do. I mean, they might try and keep me and Iris away. They'll argue about it, for sure. But well, at the end of the day, they do love their son. At least, more than they disapprove of Iris and I. They'll do what's necessary."

"Necessary to them isn't always best for Wally," said Dinah firmly.

The ominous feeling returned.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" said Hal loudly, anger flushing his cheeks as he slammed his glass down, "Look. Whatever the fuck those people do is their business. We'll do what's best for the kid. That's what matters."

"Amen to that," said Ollie suddenly, defusing the situation before Hal's temper flew off the handle, "More booze."

"Please," said Iris shakily.

"God yes," said Hal from beside her.

"Well, if you're out to do the best by him, then have you considered schooling options?" asked Dinah, and thus the conversation moved to lighter topics. Still though, Iris couldn't help but have Dinah's warning repeat like an ominous mantra in her head.

* * *

By the end of the tour, Wally had concluded his earlier hypothesis. Roy was _cool._  Really cool. He arrogantly roamed the expensive apartment, without shoes, pointing at things and absently calling out, "dining room", "Ollie's room", "theater room", and more. By the time they finally entered Roy's room, Wally's head was spinning.

"So that's the house," said Roy with a shrug, "I'd show you the Arrow Cave, but Dinah'll probably come looking for us soon. That is, when they're done talking about us."

"Er?" questioned Wally eloquently, taken aback as he peered around the room.

Roy's room was  _nothing_  like Wally's. The room was larger than Wally's, with a balcony overlooking the bay instead of two small windows overlooking the backyard and Mr. Keller's yard. It was messy. far messier than Wally's room. Mom would have despised the sight of Roy's messy room. The floors of the room were covered in dirty clothes, wrappers and water bottles that Wally would have been forced to clean away. There was a weights stand up against one wall, with different sized weights for training that Rudy would have wanted Wally to have, but Wally found just far too threatening to even  _look_  at.

The desk had a really sleek laptop on it, open but the screen black. A wire connected the laptop to a large television in the corner of the room, jutting out from the wall. By the right wall was the desk had stacks of high-school textbooks, looking clean and untouched, unlike Wally's second-hand, well-used copies that he'd nicked from Uncle Barry. Beside the desk was the door to a bathroom, and the closet was presumably tucked inside the bathroom.

Roy lacked posters on the wall, but made up for it with a large bow and arrow that Wally had only seen in the photos. Arrows were placed around the room walls. Photos were taped up sloppily and without purchase. Some had Speedy with Green Arrow from magazines, some had Roy as a kid with a man who had his red hair, and another older aboriginal man, with an older kid Roy, before turning into Roy wearing a tux beside Ollie, both of them scowling identically.

It was seeing the proof of Roy being Speedy that struck Wally. His jaw dropped, and he stared wide-eyed at the photos, in shock. It was absolutely amazing. Roy was Speedy.

He was in Speedy's room.

He. Was. In. Speedy's. Room.

_Speedy's Room._

The fact blew his mind, and he didn't realize Roy was watching him. He turned when he heard Roy mutter something, and turned to see Roy staring at him. That's when he realized he couldn't make out what Roy was saying.

"Crap," he groaned, and set about searching for something that had a normal speed to compare himself to. Aunt Iris or Uncle Barry or Uncle Hal weren't here, and he couldn't just grab onto _Speedy._  That would be weird.

The bed.

It had no kinetic energy of any kind, so Wally focused on that. He slowed and slowed and slowed. And then he realized he wasn't breathing. Shit. Gasping, he realized that in slowing down, he'd almost stopped his heart. Dizzily he opened his mouth, his entire body protesting as he gasped and his throat constricting and everything was  _burning_ -

* * *

To Roy's horror, the kid had suddenly started to vibrate in his room. He kicked away the shirt by the kid's foot, that was incredibly warm and starting to singe. It was the  _"Real men make twins"_ shirt.

There was no time to appreciate the irony of the kid almost burning that shirt, because the kid stopped moving suddenly, and Roy stared. The kid was absolutely still, far more still than Roy had ever seen him in their short interaction. He was like a living statue. That wasn't an exaggeration or hyperbole, the kid was absolutely stopped. He wasn't breathing. Wasn't moving. Wasn't anything. Three seconds passed, and then, he started to gasp, choking on the air, and falling down. Roy automatically reacted, catching the younger boy and helping him onto the bed.

"What happened?" demanded Roy angrily, shocked at what he'd just witnessed.

"Slowed- Slowed down too much," said the kid sheepishly, voice raspy as he took deep breaths as though he had just choked, before dissolving into a fit of coughs. "I think I just- _almost_ \- stopped my heart."

"How- What- How the fuck- What?" demanded Roy, staring at the kid, who gaped as though he'd just realized who Roy was.

"Erm- sorry," said the kid, looking to the ground.

Roy nodded, feeling a little blank. He struggled to find the right thing to say, without screwing this up. This was why he usually avoided children. He was never having kids, that's for sure.

"What. _Happened_?" he demanded sternly, staring into the kid's incredibly green eyes, like his aunt-mother Iris.

"I tried to slow down," said the kid nervously, "But I was comparing myself to the bed that had no energy and it didn't work."

Roy nodded, and then sharply continued his interrogation with, "What do you usually do when that happens?"

"Compare to a person?" came the meek reply, as he stared at Roy.

"Next time, do that," said Roy grumpily, "I don't want to tell the Flash you died."

The kid suddenly paused, and then went really pale. Roy grimaced, as the kid mouthed the word "died" over and over. Apparently he had just traumatized the twelve-year old genius who was too stupid to realize that he could have died in his experiment. Then again, the kid had blown himself up to become the Flash. Maybe he worked on the process of experiments only being interesting if they almost killed him.

"I- I could have died?" asked the kid, numbly.

"Probably not," said Roy quickly, "I know CPR. You'd be fine."

"Yeah," said the kid with a nod, and then a firmer, "And Uncle Barry would have fixed it. He's smart like that."

Who the fuck was Uncle Barry?

Flash. Right.

Oh good Lord.

The Flash cannot save you from death, kid. Roy bit his tongue, and instead moved on to safer topics, "So, what are you doing on the day of the anniversary?"

"Anniversary? Oh, the Justice League anniversary," said the kid, stumbling a bit, "I- er- at home- with Grandma Joan- television."

Roy wasn't sure if the kid was speed talking and Roy had just gotten that good at interpreting it, or the kid was stammering. Either way, it gave Roy a headache.

"Right," said Roy dryly, "Sounds pretty boring."

"What- What about you?" asked the kid nervously.

"Ollie said something about Gotham, so I'm probably getting holed up with Robin in the Bat-Cave, or he's coming here. I'll find out on the day of the anniversary when Ollie remembers that I'm supposed to go somewhere," said Roy easily.

The kid's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"You know Robin?! There- There's a Bat-Cave?" he squeaked.

Roy smirked.

"'Course I do," said Roy casually, "He's an annoying, cheeky brat. And hell yeah there's a Bat-Cave."

"What's it like?" gasped Wally, staring at Roy with all the awe and wonder he usually bestowed on his Uncle Barry.

"Dank, musty, boring," said Roy with a shrug. "They have a giant penny in there. It's sort of lame."

Wally drank in his words with amazement. Roy's laptop started to act up suddenly, and he glared at the machine, having an idea of what was happening. The fucker was not doing this. Not now.

Fuck.

Roy saw his life flash before his eyes.

"What's going on?" asked Wally, staring at the screen curiously.

It was flickering on and off, and then the T.V screen was too. The scene was changing continuously, from the news, to cartoons, to some celebrity reality show. It hung around there for a while, before rerouting to the History Channel's boring special on Gotham Ghosts. And then it went entirely black, except for a striking yellow R on the screen, set on a black backdrop.

Wally stared, jaw dropped, as the screen shifted, and then cleared.

There was a boy on the screen, in a dark, cave-like room. He was round-faced, with sleek black sun-glasses. He had a cherub like appearance, with well-tanned skin, and dark, inky black hair that was almost invisible thanks to the darkness of the room he was in. Only his screen must have been lighting his face, letting blue light dance over his face. He looked frightening and friendly all at once.

Cheeky little fuck.

Batman was going to kill them.

Batman was going to kill  _him_.

He'd blame Ollie.

With that pleasant idea stored, Roy turned to the other brat in his room. If he stared too long at the screen, he may actually punch the impatient little fuck. It was a good thing Roy controlled his temper and turned away, because once again -and really, it was sort of predictable at this stage- Wally was vibrating.

"Slow it down kid," came Roy's voice, a firm, solid grip on his shoulder.

Wally slowed, coming to a stop to match Roy's pace, though his heart was still thudding at what felt like a thousand beats per minute. Roy smirked, looking at the screen as the boy on there stared blankly at them, almost analytically. Probably practiced that look in the fucking mirror. Or maybe he was just that good at imitating the big man.

And then the boy ruined it by cackling.

Wally jumped in shock.

"Nice to meet you, Wallace Rudolph West."


	12. Robins, Replications and Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin makes his appearance, and proceeds to lead the meeting. Roy finds himself liking Wally, and Ollie and Barry have a heart to heart.

If anyone could have told Wally just a week ago that he would be in  _Speedy's room_ , with  _Robin_  on the television screen, well, he'd probably have declared them crazy. Those two were heroes and sidekicks to heroes. No way were they going to be interested in him. Let alone  _want_  to meet him.

He wasn't even  _half_  as interesting as them.

But here he was, a red-haired teenager staring at him and the screen with disdainful interest, and Robin looking through the television directly at him.

Holy crap.

"R- Rbn- r- h-

His brain was broken. He had no clue what people said in situations like. What people did. Obviously talking was not a priority. Neither was breathing. He felt like his heart had just stopped like it did moments ago.

"If you start hyperventilating, will you break the bag I give you to breathe with?" asked Roy casually, and Wally snapped his head to focus on Speedy and ask, "Hugh?"

"You know, blowing faster, the speed of the wind breaks the bag," said Roy, thankfully translating.

"My lungs aren't nearly strong enough to generate the amount of air required to break the plastic and I doubt the speed would affect it but I'd need to test that," said Wally automatically, feeling lightheaded. Roy probably had no idea what he'd just said, considering his expression was blank. Speed-talking then.

Roy's hand, still clamped on his shoulder, brought Wally to sit down, and rearranged his limbs with a strength that Wally was unaccustomed to in anybody but his dad, really, and lately, Jay and Uncle Barry. His head was between his knees.

"Breathe normally kid," said Roy, his hands still on Wally's hands, "And Jesus ever-fucking-Christ Robin, did you have to be such a  _dick_  and sneak up on us like that? Where the fuck is Batman?"

Roy cursed a lot. Further validation of his coolness.

"I didn't know he'd react like that!" came the pointed defence, "Batman's preliminary report didn't say anything about a heart or stress condition!"

"Batman has a report on me?" asked Wally, feeling flattered, frightened and amazed all at once.

"That was speed-talk gibberish. Either you asked something about Batman, or the Grim Reaper. Don't worry, people mistake them often. But if you die, I swear to God I'm blaming Robin for this!" said Roy, sounding annoyed as he glared at the screen.

"People don't mistake Batman for the Grim Reaper," came the petulant, oddly high-pitched voice from Robin. Holy Christ. Robin was young! "They mistake the Grim Reaper for Batman."

Roy snorted at Robin's comment.

Wally finally felt the dizziness ebb away, and lifted his head to stare like a nervous puppy between the screen and Roy, who let go of his hands, looking uncomfortable at any bodily contact. Body contact was uncool. Mental note to tell Uncle B that so he didn't embarrass himself further in High School this year.

"So- What's going on?" asked Wally timidly, "And why does Batman have a report on me?"

"You don't get to ask the questions!" squeaked Robin, sounding more and more like the dolls and action figures of Robin, and really young. Was he older or younger than Wally though? His voice certainly didn't crack, but he may just be naturally high-pitched. And the screen did nothing to show his age. The glasses really didn't help.

"Batman keeps reports on everyone," supplied Roy, pulling a giant bean bag chair, red in color, out of the closet alongside several articles of clothing, and what looked like a sports magazine. He squashed down into it, while Wally stayed on the bed. Holy crap was the bed comfortable. It was so soft. Wally wondered how much it cost. He had totally not noticed because  _Speedy and Robin_ -

You know where this goes.

"So, what questions do you have?" asked Wally, and Roy shrugged and grabbed the magazine, flipping through the pages with a bored look.

Invest in sports magazines. Possibly join a sport as well.

"So, Wallace Rudolph West," said Robin, drawing himself up to look tall, despite the screen between them, and folding his hands primly on the desk like an aristocrat, "Tell us about yourself. The report states you have two parents, a smart brain, and you're the Flash's nephew. Judging from your hospital reports, you broke your arm four years ago after you fell off a bike, and the only other major incident was a couple months back. It was a sealed report, obviously, both because you're a kid and because you're Uncle pulled a few strings, but from the news reports, that was the moment you became a meta. So, tell us Meta-Wallace, how did you become a meta?"

"You're such a little shit," snorted Roy, and Robin fixed an irritated look at him before squalling, "Shut up Roy. I'm asking the questions."

"I- er- experimented and then- boom- and yeah," said Wally lamely, still basking in the glow of the moment.

"I see," said Robin dramatically, nodding emphatically, "Must have been traumatizing. Sounds  _awesome._  Now, who do you think would win in a fight, Superman or Batman?"

Wally stopped, and stared. How was he supposed to answer that? He paused, considering the question. Robin starting humming the jeopardy theme. Somewhere between the humming and Wally's thinking, a little clip of the theme started playing from the screen. On repeat.

"Oh my fucking Lord Robin, shut that thing off or I'll fucking shoot an arrow into the screen!" growled Roy, raising a head from his magazine and looking dead serious.

"Can you do that?" asked Wally, amazed and side-tracked.

"Fine," pouted Robin, turning the song off before dramatically continuing with, "Well?"

"I don't know," said Wally easily, "That's too little information! Are they fighting in a room? Outside? Does Batman have kryptonite? He probably does, but still."

"Explain," demanded Robin, sitting up eagerly, almost leaning towards his screen.

"Well, if they're in a room, than Batman has the advantage because he can just trap Superman with the kryptonite. But outdoors, Superman has flight, and if there's no buildings or anything to grapple on, Batman's kryptonite is useless beyond holding for protection, and Superman can just as easily use his laser vision or frost breath to, well- yeah. But if there are buildings, it's anyone's game," concluded Wally easily, wishing he had his action figurines to give a demonstration, even if the Superman one lacked the frost breath and the 'laser' in the left eye was broken.

Robin made no move to comment, but looked pleased at the deduction. Instead, he crossed his arms, mimicking some kind of super-villain and probably narrowed his eyes as he said, "Green Lantern or Flash?"

"Flash," said Wally automatically, before pausing to ask, "Wait- Which Green Lantern?"

"Does it matter?" asked Robin with a shrug.

Wally thought about it, and then shook his head as he said, "Nope. Flash would still win."

"How?" asked Roy, raising his head and scowling, "That's personal bias. If anything, Hal's constructs could keep Barry busy, and in the stratosphere, Hal wins every time."

"Only because Uncle B loses oxygen! And still Uncle Barry would win by just generating more speed than Hal's constructs!" argued Wally stubbornly.

"Logical. But he's choking," deadpanned Robin.

"And he'd still win," Wally continued adamantly. Uncle Barry  _never_ lost. Uncle Hal could possibly lose to Uncle Barry.

"Okay, Green Arrow and Black Canary. Inside the living room you just saw," said Roy firmly.

"How many arrows does Green Arrow have?" countered Wally automatically.

"Ten," said Robin, "Variety of tricks."

"Green Arrow. Black Canary can dodge all she likes, but she'd be disadvantaged without her sonic cry, and in that much space, it could backfire on her. But Green Arrow has long-range attacks and deadly aim. He'd pin her," said Wally firmly.

"Black Canary and the Flash, in Roy's bedroom," said Robin quickly.

"Flash," said Wally easily.

"How?" asked Roy, looking smug.

"Easy, he has the speed advantage. Same issue with sound, but Flash could pin her," said Wally with a shrug.

"Alright, same two but outdoors, alleyway," said Roy, narrowed eyes.

"Flash," said Wally quickly, "He'd be able to generate more kinetic energy and throw her off."

"Batman and Flash," asked Robin, "Alleyway. Batman with a full utility belt, Barry on half energy."

"Flash," said Wally, crossing his arms as he realized what the two heroes were trying to do, "Flash always wins. He'd be able to dodge Batman's stuff, and then it's only a matter of taking the belt."

"But he's on half-energy," said Roy.

"We're not machines," replied Wally with a scowl, "We can still work at maximum output with minimum energy. We'd just burn up faster. But with our speed, it would still be too fast for a normal person to keep up."

"Batman's not normal," argued Robin.

"He is in comparison to the Flash!" argued Wally.

"I call prejudice!" said Roy easily, "Batman's tougher than nails."

"And slow," argued Wally, before stopping and realizing he was in an argument  _with Robin and Speedy._  "Are we arguing?"

"Debating," said Robin with a wave of his hand.

"Arguing," said Roy, shrugging.

"Er," asked Wally, feeling a little light-headed. You weren't supposed to argue with heroes! Wait. What the hell? He was so confused. Did this mean they were friends or that they didn't like him? They were kind of ganging up on him, but it didn't feel bad like at school. It felt kind of fun, actually.

When he tuned back in, Roy and Robin were arguing over whether or not they had been arguing or debating.

"It's a debate Roy! We're all friends here!" said Robin hotly, "And nobody was yelling profanities! This is an argument!"

"Fuck you! It was a total argument! A debate is posh and there's less opinion and more fact! We were totally pissing around and that's arguing!"

"Oh my god," said Robin, "This is why I'm not allowed any friends! Because you're so weird!"

"From the little shit that climbed on Ollie's chandelier the first time he came over!"

"That was to prove that I could! And you said I'd never get up there!"

"Er- Guys?" asked Wally timidly, eyes wide. He'd never thought Speedy and Robin were the type to argue. He'd thought they'd be best friends. This was  _so_  weird.

"Whatever, it's all just semantics anyways," said Robin with a childish pout.

It seemed that signalled the end of whatever that was, and Roy leaned back into his chair with a stern and relenting, "Fine. Semantics. Whatever."

"Do something with super-speed!" said Robin suddenly, "Besides vibrating. How fast can you run?"

"I've clocked just below sound the last time I ran," said Wally easily, "But Jay says I'll probably get faster. What should I do?"

"Sit there," said Roy, scowling harshly at both Wally and Robin, "I just cleaned my room! No more fucking experiments, from either of you!"

Wally paused, and then stared at the messy room. This was clean? Wait- What would dirty look like? Robin apparently had the same sentiment as he snorted from the screen. Roy muttered something that sounded like 'little shits' and Wally had the distinct feeling his disbelief was on his face and he'd been categorized as a 'little shit' as well.

"Are you still mad about the last one?" asked Wally timidly, sitting back to create distance between himself and Roy. He didn't want to upset the other teenager, after all.

"Last experiment?" asked Robin, sounding disappointed. "What happened? Can you do it again?"

"Not mad kid," said Roy with a sigh, "And none of your business Bird Brain! And no fucking way are we doing that again!"

"Wally will tell me, won't you?" said Robin primly, looking satisfied.

Wally opened his mouth to say something, but instead, a dark, gravelly voice filled the air, anger chilling into Wally's bones as it said, "What is going on here?"

"Batman!" cried Robin, turning in his seat.

And then everything went black.

* * *

"Fuck!" said Roy, standing up and staring at the screen in horror. Wally was staring at Roy, but the archer couldn't think.

Of course the fucking idiot kid wouldn't think to lock the goddamned door. Of course he'd just let Batman waltz right in and oh holy fuck he was going to be murdered in his sleep! He turned to Wally, who had paled and was staring at the screen, and then Roy with confusion, silently demanding an answer that Roy just wasn't capable to provide.

"Herh?" asked the kid, unintelligible and Roy swallowed, unsure if he could really provide much on that front.

"Batman," he said flatly. "That was Batman."

"Bat- Wha- What?!" demanded the kid, horrified.

"Like I said, Batman," said Roy flippantly, though his voice shook, "May God save Robin's soul."

"He- He can't kill- What?" questioned the kid, looking shaky.

"He's a goner kid," said Roy with a sigh, "Best leave it at that. Batman probably won't kill him- But well- he's Batman."

Those solemn, deadly words hung in the air.

* * *

Shortly after the two had mourned Robin, Roy having taught Wally a Navajo prayer to say when luck was needed for a friend. After pushing Robin out of their mind, Roy had begun to relate his interactions with other heroes to Wally, describing his first meeting with Aquaman and John Stewart. Hal entered the room just as Roy finished his story, with Wally being the appropriate peanut gallery to share things with.

"Getting along?" asked Hal, flumping down on the bed beside Wally, as he glanced around Roy's room, his ring lazily lighting up to sniff something out.

"Roy's really cool!" blurted Wally immediately, and then flushing as the teen gave a smug grin, before narrowing his eyes at Hal and saying, "Knock that off, will you?! The stuff you're looking for is probably in Ollie's room. I'm not some kind of idiot to leave that shit lying around."

"So you have that shit?" asked Hal gleefully.

"Grow up and welcome to the age of the fucking Internet old man," said Roy with a glower, and Wally stared.

"What are you looking for Uncle Hal?" asked Wally, curious.

"Sex, drugs and rock and roll," said Hal cheerfully, "All of which Roy's clear off. C'mon kids. Dinner time!"

"Finally," muttered Roy, "Let's go."

As they were walking out, Wally whispered to Roy, "What does he mean by that?"

"He's an idiot. And remember, mum's the word about Robin and his visit and Batman, got it?" he asked quietly back. No way was he getting in trouble yet again and banned from patrol for encouraging Robin. Ollie could be a dick when Batman sat on his ass, but if he had no reason to talk to Batman, then they were golden.

"Got it," said Wally, elated at sharing a secret with Roy.

* * *

Dinner was surprisingly both intimidating and fun. For some reason, Roy had taken a shine to Wally, and the two were seated side by side, as Roy explained the menu to Wally.

"That's salad with apple and cheese and some expensive bullshit. That's soup with butternut and some other expensive bullshit that taste's shitty. That's a mixture of prawns and ham and beans and sprouts and it sounds gross but it's actually pretty good. The pork thing with turnips, some nuts and some other crap is alright, and you should definitely try out the lamb with grapes and something else. Avoid the swordfish, it tastes weird. And that thing that's peppers stuffed with cheese- that's not cheese, or at least, not good cheese," said Roy easily as the two boys went through the buffet first, as the adults served their drinks. Wally was being conscientious not to take too much food, though there seemed to be an endless supply, as the catering dishes looked ready to serve seventy people instead of seven.

"I'll take Roy's word on that menu," said Hal, sidling up beside them as he served his plate, dropping an extra scoop of everything in Wally's as he went, which Wally was grateful for as he concentrated on holding the fancy looking plate in both hands as to not drop it.

"Roy," said Dinah wryly, "You need to eat a vegetable."

The two boys and Hal were seated across the two couples at the large Queen dining table. Wally was far more relaxed when he saw the presence of just one spoon and fork and knife, no fancy rich people plates. The glass of coke Roy had insisted he have to help down his food was sitting primly beside his plate, that was really a mountain of food thanks to Hal. And by god, he wanted to eat it all and then go for seconds. The increased metabolism thing had its perks.

"I have vegetables!" argued Roy, poking at some of the beans, the very few sprouts and the one limp grape on his plate.

"You need to eat more than that," said Dinah, before turning to Oliver and raising an eyebrow.

Oliver blissfully continued forking his own piece of pork into his mouth, talking with Barry and Iris animatedly about the improvements Star was making on its water filtration system that would allow for cleaner water in the rural areas of developing nations. Dinah sighed, and let it go because Hal intervened with, "Eat the veggies Roy. Makes the meat tastier."

"You're not my dad," came the petulant reply from the fifteen year old, as he continued to shove a large prawn into his mouth.

Wally carefully began separating his own vegetables from the pile, taking great care to savor the meat. He nibbled on the occasional grape with lamb, that actually tasted sinfully good, and the beans with ham and shrimp in a tomatoey sauce were amazing, and the turnip with nuts and pork looked interesting, but there were too many turnips and Roy didn't eat those so Wally shoved that bit aside to favor eating the rest of the meat, that way avoiding being uncool.

"Wally, eat your vegetables," said Aunt Iris sharply, zeroing in on his plate.

Wally stared at Aunt Iris, and then at his plate, and then at Roy. Roy was ignoring Dinah's huffed reprimands entirely, and Hal had given up entirely. Ollie was still discussing the water filtration system. He glanced back at his aunt, and then at his plate and defiantly stuck his fork into a piece of pork, rubbing off the shredded turnip bits, and stuffing it into his mouth. Despite moving slightly faster than normal, out of nervousness of being defiant, his aunt still caught on, and stared at him in surprise.

"Wally!" she said, looking a bit dumbstruck, "Eat your vegetables. They're good for you."

"Don't want to," mumbled Wally, making a mental note to work on the attitude bit later.

"Do they not taste good? I think they're delicious," said Iris, frowning as she dabbed politely at her lips and took a sip of her wine.

"Don't," said Wally, focusing solely on the tender shrimp in his mouth.

Barry caught on to the conversation, and turned his head with a frown as he said, "Wally, eat the vegetables. With your metabolism you can't afford to be picky. If you don't like it, just eat them quickly. It's what I do."

Wally stared at Uncle Barry, and then gave a weak nod before scooping the vegetables up quickly and to his disappointment not being able to taste them. At the same time, Dinah had once again called Ollie's attention to Roy and his lack of vegetables.

"Not my dad," said Roy, before Ollie could open his mouth.

Wally stared in surprise. If Roy lived with Ollie, wasn't he his dad? Was he his uncle? To his even greater astonishment, Ollie grinned at the remark, and bluntly tossed back, "But I am your pay-cheque. Now stuff a few greens in there and we'll call it a night."

Roy made a face, and with a huff, stuffed a few vegetables down his throat. He glanced at Ollie, who was now conversing with Hal about some sports game, and then he promptly returned to ignoring his vegetables. Wally glanced at Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry, who were turned, talking to Dinah about something. Well, when with Roy, right?

* * *

After a hearty dessert of tiramisu and ice-cream, Barry found himself back on the couch, with Wally curled up beside him and Roy on the other end. Roy and Ollie were arguing with Hal over some sports team Barry didn't keep up with, and Iris and Dinah were talking about Dinah's schoolwork and her thoughts about getting a P.h.D. Barry wasn't really joining either conversation, preferring to just absorb the atmosphere. It was slow, gentle and lulling.

"Wally?" he asked, turning his head.

The kid was fast asleep, head on Barry's shoulder, and Barry was neither surprised nor disappointed. Wally had, after all, been running around all morning with Jay doing God only knows what, and the excitement of tonight had probably worn the kid down a little. He fondly shifted the boy a bit closer to him.

As he did, he couldn't help but glance over him. Wally was really growing fast. Another two years, and he'd be up to Barry's shoulder probably. Eventually the kid was going to be his height, maybe taller. He'd never have Barry's broader and stockier build, but he'd be a force to be reckoned with once he was older. He couldn't help but be a little stunned that Wally of all kids was growing up so fast.

If dinner was anything to go by, Wally was going to be a teenager next year, and probably a stubborn one. He had caught Wally's little acts of defiance by pretending to eat his vegetables when he saw Iris and Barry watching him, and after glimpsing the way Wally mimicked Roy's posture and behaviorism, he had an idea of what was going on. He wasn't too worried though. After all, Wally had other heroes he'd meet and be influenced by. And he was already making plans for Wally to meet John Stewart as soon as possible and as often as possible to negate all the awful behavior Ralph, Ollie and Roy would teach the kid. It was a pleasant thought, how much Wally was opening his life, how easy it was to revolve his own life around the kid, make plans for Wally's future.

It was a little scary too, how easily he was sliding into role of father when it wasn't his place.

The night wrapped up quickly after that, and Barry found himself carrying the twelve-year old in a piggy-back style move. Wally was knocked out on his back, and Iris was saying good-bye to Dinah while Hal and Roy traded jabs over the sports issue. To his surprise, Ollie came over and looked at him, obviously wanting to say something, but not sure how.

"Go on," said Barry dryly, unsure what Ollie wanted but sure it was something cringe-worthy since Ollie had certainly had one too many at dinner.

"It's not bad, y'know, to care about him like that," said Ollie resolutely, staring at him with a slightly pink expression, but an overall firmly sober appearance, "The kid adores you."

Barry tensed, and then stared back at Ollie as he said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please," said Ollie with a roll of his eyes, "The entire time you've either been hesitating to make a call and speak up, or you're already three steps ahead. The fact that you arranged the entire schooling issue, but then wanted Dinah's opinion, it's not a bad thing Barry. Hell, if the kid's dad is anything-

"Ollie," said Barry firmly, "It's not my place. And don't tell me it is when you and Roy are still working things out."

"Roy and I are different," said Ollie sternly, "The kid's had two great father-figures before me. My job's not to screw up what they've done. Besides, Roy's a lot older than Wally. You're in a different situation. The kid's looking at you for help, and the speed thing is as good as blood."

"And arrows aren't?" retorted Barry, before biting his lip. He hadn't meant to get defensive and say something that rude, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

Ollie scowled, and sighed as he said, "Just- All I'm saying is, you're doing good Barry. You've got nothing to fear."

"Neither do you," said Barry softly, giving Ollie an encouraging look.

"I'm not Saint Barry," said Ollie with a forced smirk, "He's got better people to look up to."

He wants it to be you. Barry didn't point that out, but the two men stood in that solemn, uncomfortable silence, mulling each others words over, but saying nothing. This was, after all, not their place. With a nod, Barry found himself headed out the door, Iris behind him, and a lot of thinking ahead out of him.


	13. Messages and Messes

Waking up at home in Central had been the most awful, most terrifying, most _nerve-wracking_  thing of Wally's life. For a minute, he thought everything that had happened in Star had been a dream. After getting out of bed, he'd been somewhat pacified to see his clothes were the exact same outfit he'd plucked out to wear to Star City. The second, and most possibly best piece of evidence happened to occur when he logged into the computer to check his emails from his mother and school.

Right there in his contact list, two new emails were registered – harper.R and robinrox86. The first one was most obviously Roy, especially with the added Queen industries email that looked like it was meant for a professional. Serious and practical. The second one was harder to understand. It was a generic W-mail ID, as sponsored by Wayne Industries, but it could literally be any kid with an interest in Robin and a W-mail account. Even his picture was a blanked out to just have the generic W-mail blank photo. The picture he had chosen was of balloons.

Nervously, Wally stared at the screen, trying to make sense of it all. Uncle Barry would be really upset if he was talking to a stranger on the computer, but he couldn't ask Uncle Barry to confirm the email because he wasn't supposed to know about his meeting with Robin.

Before Wally could come to a decision on what to do, a chat box popped up. The chat had one Roy Harper and the other, robinrox86. Apparently Robin didn't choose to enter his own name. Hesitantly, Wally stared, trying to make sense.

_It's actually Roy and Rob – RR86_

_His email is weird. Stupid Gotham paranoia. Relax Wally, no predators here – RH_

Wally paused, and then relaxed, before his leg started to vibrate in excitement. He had _Robin_  and  _Speedy's_  emails and they were  _chatting_. He excitedly reached out and typed on the keys furiously, causing the W key to slip slightly off the keyboard, and then he had to stop, pause shamefully and slow back down again. This time, he managed to slow down without a comparison, but then again, he hadn't really gotten started. Or maybe he was getting better at that. Plus, he was starving.

After racing out to the living room and grabbing a bowl of cereal to stock up on energy- Lucky Charms, it took forever to remove the cereal and get a bowl of marshmellows these days- he returned to the computer, and stared at the screen. The chat had apparently continued, and broken back down into a fight between Roy and Robin.

_You should have just let me call and deliver our emails – RH_

_He's coming back – RR86_

_This is weird and creepy. Did you hack his webcam?! You're such a little hack – RH_

_And you love me for it 3 – RR86_

Wally scarfed the cereal down and typed curiously into the chat,  _How did you get my email?_

_Please, I hacked your uncle's computer through your very very insecure system – RR86_

_Batman didn't kill you?_ _Did you get in trouble?_ _– FF_

_I passed it off as a training exercise in learning about possible opposition in the future. We ate cookies and milk and he told me to stop hacking people without clearance and then lectured me about leaving obvious clues_ _in the system._ _– RR86_

_Oh my god. He's raising a weirdo – RH_

_Whoa! That's so awesome! - FF_

_You two are the most socially awkward kids that Flash or Batman could find, aren't you? - RH_

_Aw Roy, he really loves us, doesn't he? (nudges) – RR86_

_Do all heroes get to learn hacking? - FF_

_It's a Bat-thing. I learned some, but I'm more of a fan of the art of bombs and artillery – RH_

_... Roy, this is a public email! - RR86_

_Are we not supposed to write that sort of stuff? - FF_

_As if Bird Brain hasn't already secured our server for us to talk freely – RH_

_You should learn how to hack, or at least how to better protect your computers. This is shameful. It took me forever to secure everything! And it was pathetically easy to get in. Hey Wally, did you know that your uncle keeps photos of you on his work computer from when you were a kid? – RR86_

_He does? - FF_

Automatically a picture link came up. It was a photo of him from when he was seven, in his aunt's arms, missing two teeth at the Flash museum. He had ice-cream all over his face, and was dressed in a Flash t-shirt and babbling about something to his aunt, who was laughing as she tried to wipe his face. He stared, and then turned bright red as he furiously typed,  _Okay. I get it._

_It's his background photo – RR86_

_He has that on display at work?! - FF_

_Yep. Batman has photos of me on his desktop, so it's cool – RR86_

The next photo that came up was a bad-ass shot of Robin, arms crossed and standing in a dark alley-way of Gotham. It was most definitely not Robin, as the man in the photo was most likely a model, since he was standing at six feet tall and lacked the chubby, childish features Robin had in the webcam video from the other day. Plus, his suit wasn't a Robin suit, but rather a hoodie and jeans themed in the dark black, red and slight hints of yellow of the Robin costume.

_You little shit! That's from that model campaign_ _that was based on Superhero-inspired clothes! Ollie dragged me to that shit to show me the Green Arrow-themed suit (he bought it) and the Speedy themed suit (He tried to buy that) – RH_

_Ollie has photos of you on his laptop too Roy, no need to be so fussy – RR86_

_No he doesn't – RH_

_Yes he does – RR86_

Up came a picture of Roy, probably when he and Ollie had been first entering Star after Roy had become his ward. Roy was dressed in a leather jacket, and there was a reporter ambushing him. Roy looked horrified, and had literally been jumping backwards as the mob of reporters as Ollie laughed and caught his arm. Apparently nobody had bothered to warn the fourteen year old. Roy's expression of pure horror was priceless, and Wally giggled at the image.

_FUCK YOU – RH_

_It actually is! - RR86_

_I changed it after he tried that shit! - RH_

_He changed it back_ _!_ _\- RR86_

_Fuck him - RH_

_It's not a bad picture – FF_

_Fuck you too – RH_

_Sorry? - FF_

_Our baby is so socially conscious. Did that picture get spread around your school? - RR86_

_Don't you dare – RH_

_I wasn't! - RR86_

"Wally! Breakfast is ready and Jay will be here any moment! Are you dressed?!" came his aunt's voice from outside the door, probably assuming he was sleeping in.

"Coming Aunt I!" he called, and turned back tot he screen and typed a quick " _gtg"_ and said his goodbyes.

* * *

Barry was curious about Wally sleeping in. The boy was always a buzz of energy, up early when he knew Jay was coming, or at least, by nine at the latest. It was already nine-forty, and Wally had still to leave his room. Chalking it up to a late night, Barry let it go, waiting for the kid as he and Iris unpacked the groceries Jay and Joan had brought. After calling the two this morning and relating the majority of their night to the older speedster, Jay had delightedly decided to bring something to start Wally's training that Dinah had suggested.

Jay looked eager and excited. Joan, on the other hand, was grimacing and looked completely unhappy. She had brought three large grocery bags, probably to absorb herself in her kitchen while Jay trained Wally. She tended to do that whenever she got angry with Jay. Barry never liked that look on her face or the grocery count to increase.

"What are you planning Jay?" asked Iris, looking just as uneasy. Iris was still dressed in her pyjamas, having the day off to spend with Wally and the Garricks. She hardly looked pleased at the prospect though, wrapped up in her Barry-eyes blue robe, staring as Jay began to manoeuvre the furniture around.

"Defence training!" said Jay excitedly, "The motions should help Wally learn to utilize his body and understand it without speed. That way future speed-training will be easier since he'll know his body."

"Defence? Isn't it early?" asked Iris, her voice going an octave higher and her eyes wide, "And in the apartment?"

"It's not early," said Jay with a shrug, "And the apartment is plenty of space to learn a few punches and holds."

"You're going to throw a hip out trying to act like a young man," muttered Joan, "And injure Wally while you're at it."

Jay through his wife a dirty look, and got an utterly loathing glare in return. Suitably cowed, Jay turned back to the furniture shifting. The couches were shoved to the walls, and piled on top of each other, so that the cushions of each couch were stacked against the other, one couch upside down on the other, slotted together like tetris pieces. The furniture video game continued, to Barry's amusement.

All by himself, Jay moved the living room against one wall, making it seem like an easy task. Maybe if this superhero gig panned out, Barry could work in the moving companies as his second job. Super-speed packing and delivery.

With that silly image in his head, Barry turned to press a kiss to the corner of Iris's mouth.

She barely even registered it. Barry wasn't too hurt by this, after all, because he had ended up pausing mid-kiss to watch Jay roll in a large sandbag.

"He's only twelve still!" said Barry firmly, "Don't hurt him!"

Jay barely registered him, giving a wave of his hand and turning back to the work at hand. It was in this rush of setting up an impromptu fighting gym that Wally surfaced from the guest room. His red hair was sticking out at all ends, and he was carrying an empty bowl of cereal, the bowl one Iris used commonly for salad.

Increase in appetite.

Apparently that was growing as well. Barry eyed Wally cautiously, remembering his own youth. Despite being shuffled through the foster care system as a child, he knew well enough what a teenage boy's appetite could be like, and even controlled portions couldn't stop them. Wally's growing portions at this age just about leveled what Barry had craved as a fifteen year old teenager who liked to play baseball and soccer in the afternoons with the other guys. And Wally was still growing.

"Groceries will skyrocket," murmured Iris affectionately, as Wally handed the bowl off to an already eager Joan, after being caught into her bone-crushing hugs. He was too busy staring at Jay to hear their silent conversation, and letting Joan fuss over his hair.

"That they will," said Barry with a fond smile, "He's growing up."

"Teenagers," said Iris in agreement, and then she suddenly frowned, "I'm not going grey- Am I?"

"What?" asked Barry, taken aback.

"Maybe I should buy some hair dye," she continued on, as though she hadn't just taken Barry by surprise, "Probably should get some for you two. Will dye work in your hair though? It grows so fast, and it would be a waste to dye that hair only to have you shear it off the same time it has to be redyed."

"Why are we dying our hair again?" asked Barry dryly, "Last time I checked, we were still young, and your hair is still the same red it was when we met."

"But we have a teenager now," said Iris with a shake of her head, "A superhero teenager. Bad enough I was married to a superhero, now I have a teen one too. I'm going to have twice as many grey hairs!"

"Oh eventually you'll just stop dying it altogether sweetheart," said Joan as she passed by them to wash the bowl in the sink, "And then people will look at you as though you must be ill or dying. Always a tad difficult to explain your husband is a thrill-seeking fool who's too old to understand that he's going to throw his hip out trying to act like a teenage boy again!"

"And Barry will forever be grateful if you don't take that anger out on his precious hairs. He still has a few years before he gets to my state! Don't rush him along!" came Jay's reply from the living room.

"Men his age are getting knees replaced, hips checked, taking medication in dosages fit to kill a horse," muttered Joan as she ran the bowl under the sink, already moving to clean the other breakfast dishes, and Barry headed beside her, picking the towel to speed-dry as she worked, "And does he listen to me? No, of course not. What husband listens to their wife? Not Jay Garrick. He's far too smart for that."

"I'm sure he can handle Wally and a few punches," said Barry calmly, as Joan gave Jay another worried look, "And Jay's much tougher than his age."

"He's already got back problems, and his left knee was never the same after the Fiddler," said Joan stubbornly, "But he just doesn't want to listen to me or his doctors!"

"Well, we're both here to watch them," said Iris reasonably, "What could go wrong?"

* * *

"I told you Mr. Garrick! I warned you this would happen!" cawed Joan angrily, as she pressed the ice to his bloody nose.

Jay, for his part, looked appropriately forlorn and chastised, until his wife turned her back, and he winked over at Wally, who struggled to contain his giggles at the couple's behavior. Iris, for her part, was pressing ice to Wally's bruised knuckles. At first, it had been simple, learning to throw a punch (Thumb out, use your hips to get momentum!), dodge a jab (You're fast Wally, anticipate and use minimal energy to move- don't waste time!), and use his speed to calculate the moves Jay tossed at him (You're quick-witted. Let the energy around you dictate the movements of your opponent, tell me where I'm going!). After two complaints from the downstairs neighbors (Are you moving out? No? Then maybe you should consider it with that racket you're making up there!), they had decided to move onto bigger and better things.

Which had lead to Jay's bloody nose and Wally's smarting and bruised knuckles and fist.

"I'm sorry love," said Jay softly, "It wasn't meant to hurt anyone."

"You're an old fool Jay Garrick," said Joan sternly, before softening and pressing a hand to his cheek. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her open palm, barely brushing his lips to tickle the soft and wrinkled skin by his cheek.

"And you love me for it," said Jay, the cheek in his reply hidden by the softness of his tone.

"I'm an idiot," said Joan fondly, turning her back to her husband and now hovering over Wally and Iris as she flapped Iris's hand away to check his knuckles. "And you socked him well Wally. Though I'm worried that he's lost the last of his working and functional common sense!"

"What even happened?" asked Iris, amused and a little worried, as Joan dabbed the purple muscle with the ice pack, clucking her teeth and throwing Jay a dirty look.

"I moved too quickly," said Jay with a grumble, "And the kid moved quicker. Combined momentum caused a crash."

"That explains how you both of you fell backwards," said Joan thoughtfully.

"It was super-cool Auntie Iris!" said Wally eagerly, as he began to explain the story of how he managed to toss the old Flash flat onto his back.

It was a rather simple narration. Wally had been practicing how to throw a jab. Jay had been in front of him, using his speed to dodge the blows, but giving Wally a place to aim after the sand-bag had broken during Jay's overeager demonstration. The poor, sand-less thing lay limply in the corner, bleeding out as the boys practiced. Wally, a bit over-enthusiastic himself, and wondered what would happen if he tried the punch using some extra momentum.

Jay had broken his nose in the resulting kerfuffle.

"His knuckles are healing already," said Joan, sounding surprised as she lightly padded a thumb over the bruised and damaged knuckles. The redness and swelling had already started to recede. Joan had tended over some of the worst injuries in her time, especially during her brief tenure as an army nurse, and she knew that Wally's healing was fast. Faster than Jay's for sure, and possibly even Barry's.

"Must be a Wally-thing," said Jay, already beside her and looking at the knuckles. His bleeding has stopped, and his nose was just waiting to heal already.

"You'll be okay, right Jay?" asked Wally, as both elders exchanged looks and made a mental note about the healing factor.

"Terrific kiddo," said Jay, rubbing a hand through his hair.

Iris watched this from aside, a small frown lingering on her face. She didn't like the idea of Wally-things, or anything that was suspicious in her nephew's behavior. It wasn't right. For all rights and purposes, Wally shouldn't be a mystery to her. Ever. With a sigh though, Iris resigned herself to watch and wait.

* * *

Barry sighed, as he finally finished the last of the Central City security assignments in one of the empty meeting rooms. The room had a large table, meant for ten or twelve, depending on how the chairs were arranged. A computer screen was open in front of him, sleek and shiny though thinner than the width of Barry's finger. A keyboard was open below his hands, sleek and glowing white light around the keys. It was the only computer open in the room, since Barry was the only one still working.

Ralph was coming up in two days time to start running patrol of Central and memorizing the streets. It was a good thing Jay already knew the place, otherwise he'd have been a little more upset. Despite Ralph and Sue's insistence to stay in a hotel, Iris had turned them down and offered them the spare bedroom. He and Iris would probably let Wally into their room to sleep with Iris on the bed, as he was anyways looking to late nights and the sleeping bag wasn't a bad place to be. Besides, he'd rather Ralph be around Iris and Wally in case any early attacks hit from some crazed villain. Always better to be safe than sorry.

Barry hit send as he forwarded the arranged security detail to Ralph as well as the CCPD. Best they could memorize the names and faces that would be taking care of things in Central during the anniversary days for the next week or so. The military was sending in trained agents, superheroes were starting to shuffle around. It was getting tenser and tenser.

Exhausted, Barry glanced at the clock in the Watchtower. All clocks in the Watchtower were set to GMT, so Barry merely had to subtract a few hours to figure out that it was near midnight back home in Central. He sighed, and stretched, feeling a bit silly to be wearing the spandex on a night when he really wasn't doing anything, but then, that was a part of the job. Even if it was boring.

"Barry?" came a voice from the shadows, and the superhero jumped, turning to glance around the empty staff-room, as the screen to his computer automatically slid back down into the table he'd been sitting at, and the keyboard sank a bit lower, and then a metal plate slid over it. Any signs of the computer were long gone.

Barry turned to stare at the creature of the night, hiding in the shadows. Behind him, the Watchtower was cutting through the vacuum of space, and the moon was glowing in the background. Before him stood the Batman, cape flowing, cowl on, and the black armor of his suit seeming like an impenetrable fortress of the night on the pillar of Gotham himself. Barry always felt that strange inadequacy beside Batman when he stood up. After all, if Batman was a fortress, than Barry was Central's red flag, whipping in the wind, the pride of Central. And how could you compare a fortress and a flag?

"Bruce?" asked Barry uncertainly. Usually a late night meeting with Batman before his patrol meant that it was important.

From thin air, it seemed, Batman pulled out a manila folder, tossing it on the table behind Barry. It landed open, revealing several documents. Barry immediately began to sift through them, his eyes glancing curiously at the files on Wally and Jay, shifting through the paper and records.

"Thank you," said Barry finally, as he realized what Bruce had accomplished for him.

"Not even the government will question this," said Bruce with a nod, as Barry reorganized the pages and placed them back into the folder, back in the neat and precise order that Bruce had arranged for them.

"All goes well this week, and then everything should be settled," said Barry, relieved as he stared at Bruce through the white of his lens, "Is this why you tracked me down? I mean- I know I asked- but you didn't have to find me right away. I honestly didn't think you'd have time until the anniversary was over!"

"I made time," said Bruce gruffly, his voice dark and unfriendly as always.

"Right," said Barry, still smiling from under his own red cowl, "Well, thanks Batman!"

"Yes, well, Robin has contacted your nephew," said Bruce sternly.

For a minute, Barry's jaw lay slack before Batman. He couldn't quite picture Robin contacting Wally. It wasn't that Barry didn't think they'd get along, no, it was just that Robin never dared to break Batman's rules. At least, not the ones out of Gotham. He had no idea how mischievous the kid was inside Gotham, though it was fairly easy to guess after considering it carefully.

"Have you, er, said anything to him?" asked Barry uneasily, "I mean- I think-

"What you think doesn't matter," said Bruce dismissively, as he gave Barry his most fearful expression, before softening, just enough to look resigned, "I believe they are emailing each other. Alongside Roy. I am monitoring their conversation, it seems harmless. After the anniversary, if neither of us are busy, perhaps we can look into a proper meeting between the two. Robin seems to like your nephew."

"That sounds great!" said Barry, a lot of relief flooding his veins. He hardly wanted to go home and tell Wally to stop talking to Robin. Though, he was now starting to worry about what else Wally wasn't telling him. As he frowned and turned to look at the moon, wondering when his nephew had started to grow so teenager-ish, he heard the swoosh of a cape.

Batman was gone.

Well then, time to call it a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been a really long time. I'm so sorry about the delay! I've had a busy few weeks, with school and stuff. I'm so sorry about not updating and not giving any warnings!
> 
> So, moving on to other things to ask.
> 
> First off, I want a beta.
> 
> With school and life gearing to be really busy in the next three-four months, I really need someone to help me out. I'd love if someone could edit over my work. And by edit my work, I even mean this story itself. Straight from the beginning. I want someone who'd be willing to go through the earlier chapters, clear up any mistakes, fix minor plot errors (or at least point those out) and just generically clean up my story. To test it out whether we'd be compatible working together, I'd ask you to edit one of the beginning, unedited chapters to this story, and if it looks good, we'd keep going. I'd hand you the master document with the entire story (No new chapters though) and you can work through it, editing chapters and passing them back to me and I'd post them new and clean and edited. When we reach the new chapters, if you finish fast, then I'd toss them to you before publishing it, and though it may put a wrench in my usual schedule, I'd try and get them to you on a scheduled basis.
> 
> It doesn't even have to be this story. If you're willing to edit Wally of the Bat-Clan, or Cracked Product, please let me know. I'm looking for a beta for all my stories. And eventually, if this works out, I have other, unpublished WIPs to publish, and it would be nice to publish if they were beta-ed beforehand.
> 
> ALSO!
> 
> OH MY GOD! If you haven't already heard, Paul Dini explicitly stated that the reason YJ was cancelled is due to the large girl audience, and apparently, they can't sell toys to girls, so they cancelled the entire show (Instead of marketing to girls, oh no, that's too hard for CN) and replaced it with more boy-ish toys. I for one, am incredibly miffed, and well. Yeah.
> 
> Last thing, if you want warnings about delays, sneak previews and messages to when I'll update, find me on sunny-donna.tumblr.com


	14. The Dibny's Are Here!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ralph and Sue Dibny are here. The Anniversary is two days away. Hal brings along a surprise.

Wednesday arrived all too early. Wally was a bit disappointed that Jay and Joan weren't coming around anymore, especially since he had been training  _super_  hard to learn the basic self-defense moves to get out of holds, and to dodge punches and the like. It was very interesting, to say the least. Joan still fretted, especially after his banged up knuckles had healed within the hour he'd been with Jay, but overall, it wasn't too strange.

However, today was a far stranger day. Wally had woken up to find out his room needed to be cleaned up and vacuumed and his clothes moved into Aunt Iris's room because he was sharing with his Uncle and Aunt. Something he hadn't done since he was a kid! Confused, but acquiescing to their demand, Wally had spent all morning cleaning his room. He swore his hands smelled like lemon sanitizer and bleach.

The bed sheets to the guest room were changed as well, made it into something more fancy and grown-up than his familiar blue quilt. It was a bit disappointing, but Wally resigned himself to such a fate. Apparently, they were having guests.

"So who's coming over to stay?" asked Wally curiously, as his Aunt began cooking in the kitchen. Today was her last day off. Tomorrow she began to cover the anniversary celebrations.

"We've got some guests," said Auntie Iris, smiling at him, "Friends of your uncle's."

"Hero friends?!" asked Wally, sitting up straighter at the kitchen table, his spoon clanging into the pasta he'd been shoveling down.

"Hero friends," confirmed Uncle Barry, entering the kitchen and looking frazzled. His blonde hair stuck up in all directions, and he looked tense. "Hal said he might stop by for dinner, Iris."

"Might stop by?" asked Iris, looking annoyed, "Doesn't he realize it takes a while to cook?"

"Well, yes," said Barry, looking adoringly at his wife, "But he's just being Hal. He may or may not be bringing a friend."

Iris raised an eyebrow, as Wally watched curiously. Uncle Hal bringing a friend? He hoped it was another hero! Wally hurried to eat his lunch, trying to figure out what hero it could be. His uncle had teamed up with so many heroes over the years. Was it another Justice League member? Maybe it was Superman! Or it could be Hawkman and his wife? Did they have secret identities? How did they hide their wings? Come to think of it, how did their wings work?

This was going to be awesome!

"Well fine! But tell him to call and tell me himself next time!" said Aunt Iris grumpily, as she continued to peal the garlic, "Wally, can you help me make dinner?"

"Sure Aunt Iris!" said Wally, dropping the now empty plate into the sink as he sidled over to Aunt Iris to help. She passed him two more cloves of garlic, and Wally resigned himself to peeling it as she began to chop.

Barry watched the two of them, love in his eyes. This was such a nice scene. Without asking, he grabbed another chopping board, and set up on the other counter in the kitchen. Iris raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything as she tossed him the bag of parsley. Comfortably in silence, Barry began to chop it up on the wooden board below him, making sure to move it into a separate bowl for when Iris started to cook.

"So Jay taught me how to escape from a zip tie yesterday!" said Wally cheerfully, "But he can just vibrate out of them! He said it took him a while, and that you'd teach me someday? When can I learn how to vibrate through them?"

"When your powers are a bit more stable," said Barry firmly, as Iris gained that pinched look on her face again, regarding both her boys with concern.

"Fine," said Wally with a sigh, as Aunt Iris passed him the now boiled potatoes to peel.

They continued like that, with no concerns as time passed. Wally grumbled as he was assigned the task of cutting onions, and then mashing potatoes and  _then_  peeling the garlic. Barry took on the harder task, like cutting the onions when Wally began to complain about his eyes, and mashing the lumps out of the potatoes when Wally got bored, and chopping the garlic as Wally peeled. Iris smiled at her boys. Contentedness radiated in their kitchen.

* * *

"Welcome!" said Iris, beaming as she swung the door open, and Ralph and Sue stood there. Sue was wrapped up in a chiffon blouse, something peachy that complimented her skin, and a pair of black leather jeans that on anyone else wouldn't suit the blouse, but on Sue it worked.

"Iris!" cried Sue, wrapping her in a tight hug that choked the air out of Iris' lungs. It was with laughter that Iris hugged the woman back, beaming as Sue released her and brushed back her black bangs. She'd cut her hair into shoulder-length waves, suiting her ovular face.

"Hey Iris," said Ralph, the same as ever with his ginger hair, and pointy nose. Dressed in jeans and a purple shirt, he looked a bit flamboyant. It didn't help that his hug consisted of him wrapping his arm around her several times, but Iris was laughing. One got used to Ralph and Sue Dibny after a while.

"I hope you two are hungry," chastised Iris as she lead them into the living room, "I doubt the airlines had any good food."

"Pathetic quality on the food," said Ralph, shuddering, "Even Barry wouldn't scarf it down! Speaking of Barry, where is he?"

"He and Wally just went out to grab some ice-cream for the dessert," said Iris, as they settled onto the couches. Sue and Ralph had brought a small trolley bag for their things that Sue wheeled and left beside her.

"I hope you didn't strain yourself," said Sue with a click of her tongue, "Ralph and I are perfectly fine with take-out. It's bad enough you're having us stay here!"

"It's fine Sue," said Iris with a smile, "Let me get you something to drink. Water or wine?"

"Wine," chimed Ralph and Sue, and Iris laughed as she headed off.

Returning with three glasses of red wine, Iris let herself be entranced into the two's tales of their travels. They had left Brazil and gone to South Africa. Ralph had an exciting case there and had chased Doctor Polaris for a while, only to discover his team up with the Russian mafia. After that, there had been some political scandals and it had taken Rocket Red's help to capture Polaris for good. The story was fascinating, especially since the Russian government had hushed the story up and Iris hadn't been able to read about it.

"I still don't understand what Polaris was trying to smuggle though," said Sue with a sigh, "Ralph thinks he was just leading weapons smuggling, but he's got a split-personality. And Doctor Polaris has no interest in smuggling. He wants to cause pain and mayhem to get revenge for his pain. This was just too organized."

"He's locked up in Russia, and Red said he'd send any word if Polaris gave out information, but as soon as he's out of the suit he becomes Neal Emmerson again," explained Ralph, "And there's nothing to him anymore. He probably has no idea why Polaris struck out like that."

They sat in silence, mulling over those words. Any time a villain did something out of character, it was a cause to worry. The group didn't say anything, just considered the possibility of what was to come.

* * *

It took Barry and Wally nearly an hour to buy the ice-cream. Once they were in the grocery store, Uncle Barry had insisted that they do  _all_ the shopping. Wally had grumbled and groaned but in the end, had let himself be lead around the Wal-Mart. After loading their trolley with snacks and milk and bread and brown eggs because Aunt Iris claimed they were healthier and more, they checked out.

The cashier, a bleached blonde teenager with a lip ring and a ring on every finger, tore one of the bags and sent the cereal boxes flying over the floor, leaving Wally to pick them up. It was impossible to do such a mundane task without speed, but Uncle Barry had his eye on him, and so Wally conformed with reluctance.

By the time they finally got back home, Wally was giddy with excitement, wondering what hero would be behind the door. He'd wheedled Uncle Barry in the car, tossing names at him in a rapid volley that Uncle Barry just coolly deflected back with a smile on his face. Wally's questions were about as effective as marbles would be at breaking down stone walls. And Wally doubted even a canon would break Uncle Barry's resolve!

As the door finally-  _finally!_ \- opened, because Uncle Barry had fumbled with the key, Wally flung it wide. Despite the armful of groceries, he rushed inside to find not only his Aunt Iris in the living area, but also Uncle Hal and three strangers he'd never met before. Wally paused, and gaped at them, before flushing when the three strangers all stared at him with curiosity.

Beside Uncle Hal's armchair, on the small foot stool beside the Dibny's was a large, muscular man, with his black hair buzzed short in a military style. His nose was sharp and lean, his features sharp and distinct on his dark-skinned face. His lips curved into a smile, welcoming and patient all at once as those dark black eyes focused on Uncle Barry and Wally.

Wally felt his face flush at the sudden attention.

"Hi," he squeaked, glaring at the floor in embarrassment. So  _not_ cool. He was so  _uncool_. This was the second Green Lantern, John Stewart, and he was a piddly mess of red. No wonder the guys at school liked to pick on him. First Roy, and now John. He was never ever _ever_  going to make a cool impression.

"This the mini-Barry?" asked an obnoxious, slightly southern twanged voice.

Wally turned from the Green Lantern on the couch to see the strangest sight ever. There was a head, floating above him, peering down. The head had a large nose, red hair, and bushy eyebrows. Also, it was attached by a noodly neck to the body on the couch.

"Erghmrer?"

The sound slipped from his throat in shock, as he tried to make sense of it all. The man had a noodle neck! He gaped, and then suddenly the connection was made.

Uncle Ralph.

He'd met Ralph a few times before when he came into town with his pretty wife, Mrs. Sue Dibny, and he was one of Uncle Barry's groomsmen. He was a loud, nice kind of guy that was very rich and liked to travel. He was a chemist that had a small fortune, according to Aunt Iris. But he was sort of plain and not all that interesting once he was done talking about his travels.

Also, he apparently could stretch his body.

"You're the Elongated Man?" squeaked Wally, remembering hearing of the strange hero a few times when he was in Central.

"Yes I am kiddo," said Ralph gently, and then, lo and behold, his feet appeared in front of Wally, and his body flexed out like a strange contortion of rubber, as his legs followed his feet, shortening into a proper man's legs while his torso stretched for what seemed like miles, though it was really just from the sofa to the door, and he was standing before Wally, looking a bit taller than Wally remembered thanks to that odd, noodly neck.

The groceries were taken from his hand, and the head disappeared. The hands and neck were busy putting the groceries away, while Uncle Barry zipped around, not bothering to even pretend he wasn't super fast. Between the Elongated Man and the Flash, the groceries were neatly tucked away in five minutes flat.

"So, you're Wally then?" said Mrs. Dibny, appearing beside Wally with the brightest and prettiest smile, her eyes warm as she peered down at him. For a minute, Wally wondered if she was elongated as well, but then he realized she was wearing really big heeled shoes.

"Yeah," he said, tearing his eyes away from her to the ginger-haired man who was currently  _circled_  around him.

"Stop scaring the kid Ralph!" called Uncle Hal, "You're such a show-off!"

"How'd you-

"Oh no," said Barry, before Wally could begin to pose the questions on his mind, "You're not allowed to breathe a word of your experiments to the kid Ralph. The last thing we need is the Elongated-Flash-Boy."

He was met with two, identical crest-fallen expressions.

* * *

Dinner was a strange affair. Between Ralph and Wally's pleading to create the Elongated-Flash boy ("He's already a ginger Barry. We can share him!"), or mouse, or dog ("Think of the possibilities Uncle Barry! I promise I won't test it on myself first!"), and Hal's encouragement ("We could get him a ring, between John and me, the Guardians will be begging to get him into the Corps! The Green-Elongated-Flash-Lantern-boy!"), Barry felt a bit of a headache coming on. To his consternation, Iris was staying out of this debate, despite the fact that her word was as good as law to her nephew and Hal. Sue and Iris had gotten into a fascinating conversation about the military with John.

The crab-cakes Iris had made turned out very nice, though a little buttery. The potato cake variation made to keep Barry and Wally's carb intake up were divine. The asparagus was conspicuously added to his plate by a fast-moving hand that Barry pretended wasn't doing such a thing. Though, it was far more amusing to realize that in his sheer eagerness, Hal hadn't noticed that his asparagus pile hadn't decreased all night, and that Wally seemed to be going through the asparagus Iris kept serving him like, well, Barry was going through his portion.

"Are you boys still talking about this super-hero combination thing?" asked Sue, abandoning John and Iris to their in-depth discussion about the Rhelasia situation.

"Uh huh," said Ralph, grinning at his wife, "Barry's not relenting."

"Well, I think it's sweet that you've got a sidekick now," said Sue, a wide smile on her face, "It's positively adorable, seeing you with a kiddo around here. Pity neither Ralph nor I have any siblings to give us a sidekick."

Barry swelled with pride, as Wally grinned at Sue around a mouthful of corn. The forensic specialist replied easily, "We lucked out in this one."

"So, what training have you got going on?" asked Ralph, finally abandoning their argument, though Hal seemed to be gearing up to launch another ridiculous reason involving a planet Barry had never even heard of and their need for a hero with the skill-set Wally would have.

"I'm training with Jay. We've started some self-defense and breathing techniques. He tells a lot of stories," said Wally proudly.

"Self defense?" asked John, rousing from the discussion with Iris finally, "How's that?"

"It's a lot of fun," said Wally, a bit shyer now, as he met John's serious gaze, "He showed me how to get out of a few holds, how to break zip-tie, and some basic punches."

"Huh," said John, looking reminiscent, "I didn't know you'd progressed to self-defense. Have you added any speed to those punches?"

"Not yet," replied Wally, a small pout on his face.

"You know, if you're ever interested, I could show you a few things I picked up during my military service," said John politely, "That is, if Barry would allow it."

"Yeah!" cried Wally, eager and practically bouncing at the idea, before pausing to turn to Barry and sheepishly asking, "Can I?"

"I don't see why not," relented Barry.

And from there the discussion deviated into self-defense tactics and what Wally should or shouldn't learn, especially with the speed attacks. Barry wasn't much of a militant or into combat techniques, and what he'd picked up had been through Google and movies, and the basic stuff at the police academy. The rest had come much later from mistakes and experience. It warmed his heart to know Wally would have it easier than he had.

As he met Iris's eyes, he knew she was thinking the same. The small smile on her lips was enough to let him know how wonderful this whole meeting people thing had been. And as desert was served, he found himself seeing the wonderfulness in it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's that. We've totally gone off schedule now, but I'm extremely busy until February. Exams are the last week of January, and these next two weeks are filled with final projects and assignments :(
> 
> On that note though, I've also decided to slow down all my projects and focus on a select few.
> 
> This is one of those select few. The other one is for another fandom (One Piece) and between those two, I'll be plenty busy. Cracked Product will also be updated slowly, but that's mostly all written, so yeah.
> 
> Wally of the Bat-Clan is taking a back-seat until February. I hope to finish this by February, or at least, before the end of February, but then again, the goal was to finish this by the end of December, so don't take my word on that.
> 
> The update schedule for this...
> 
> I have no idea. Twice a week if we can. Just anticipate sporadic updates :(
> 
> That is all. Anyone out there wanting to try their hands at Beta-ing?
> 
> Also- how do I put up links? I'm so lost..


	15. Flash Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to heat up on the day of the Justice League Anniversary. And you can't keep a Flash away from a fire.

The day of the anniversary couldn't come fast enough. The Dibny's had barely settled into Barry's guest room, and the anniversary was at their heels. Barry had taken to patrolling Central every three hours. Iris was on-call every hour, driving out at moment's notice to report on some preparation for Central's tribute to the Flash.

It was no surprise that Wally was a little neglected from the two.

Which was why Joan Garrick had invited the boy and the Dibny's to stay with her and Jay the day before the anniversary. While the Dibny's were a little uncertain, Iris and Barry had talked them into it. Besides, they could all use a decent night's rest and a meal, instead of all this worrying. What was coming was coming, and nothing, not even the Flash, could stop calamity. Problem with heroes was that damned complex over saving everyone and everything. Endearing and absolutely stupid.

“Can I help, Mrs. Garrick?” asked a polite Sue Dibny. Joan wasn't surprised that Sue was a little hesitant in her home. She knew that the Dibny's were youthful and hearty and wilder than Iris and Barry were, but she wanted them to feel comfortable.

“Well, I could use some help making Wally's lunch,” said Joan with a small smile, “And what does Ralph like to eat?”

“Fat,” said Sue automatically, before giving a wry grin as she took the onions from Joan to chop, “Fat, and sugar, and oil and grease and whatever can clog his arteries. The smug bastard then does that stretching thing and bam- unclogged arteries. I can't tell if I'm jealous or relieved most days.”

“When I was forty I gained ten pounds when Jay took me to the family farm and I got used to eating the creams and the butters and Jay's mother made a lovely pie that she served every evening. I never did get the recipe off the old bat. She was crazy, mind. Believed in voodoo and all that nonsense. But she made an absolutely lovely pie,” began Joan, settling into her story mode. “Anyways, I get back from that vacation and my neighbor asked me if I was going to be making a happy announcement any time soon. I was fuming! And Jay- he lost five pounds on the farm because he was running back and forth between Central and Blue Valley! I spent the rest of that year cursing Jay's metabolism as I did the fad diet of the time. Noodles. Lots of noodles. Good Lord I despised noodles after that. Still makes me queasy.”

Sue was giggling beside her. It made Joan smile as she shared all the stories with the other women. Back in her day, wives and heroes didn't mix that often. Joan had been the typical housewife who could give a good hit with a broom and kept a gun in the bedside table for those just-in-case moments. Sue reminded her of Inza, though a little more involved in her husband's career and a little less involved in all that magical mumbo jumbo. Iris and Sue were a different breed of woman from her day. It was heartening to see women stepping into careers and marriage with difficult men. Men like Ted and Alan could have used a stronger support back then. Everyone could have used a stronger support than.

“They worry me,” said Sue softly, “The way they get involved in all these powers. Ralph and I, we decided before all the sidekicks popped up, that we weren't going to get into children. Iris told me she and Barry had made that same decision. And now they've got Wally, and it's a little scary. I mean, all this new stuff. Does it ever get-  _normal_? I mean, was there ever a moment where you just knew what to expect?”

Joan stopped chopping the tomato, as she watched the red juice dribble around her fingers. It slipped around the ring, bleeding from the poor vegetable and staining her white chopping board. The scratch marks from her sharp blade stood out in the red pigment. Joan sighed, remembering having this conversation with Iris. Maybe someday, someone would write a book.  _What to expect when you marry a superhero._

But for now, Joan was willing to talk it through.

“Oh hon,” said Joan with a dry smile, “It's almost sixty years to our marriage, and I'm near positive that there was never a predictable moment. The villains were constant, sure. But you'd be surprised at the amount of trouble a hero can get into. And my generation was tame. Technology was just developing and men and women were still trying to figure out who stood where. The entire society was rumbling that it was practically impossible to find a pattern. Maybe you'll establish one, and it'll be nice and easy.”

“And if I don't?” asked Sue, eyes wide in surprise.

“Well,” said Joan, as she added the tomatoes to her chicken parmesan, “You'll learn to never complain about being bored.”

* * *

“This is so boring!” cried Wally, the morning of the Justice League Anniversary.

Last night had been so exciting. Uncle Ralph and Uncle Jay and Grandma Joan and Auntie Sue had all let Wally stay up late to watch the celebrations around the world for the Justice League, as well as watch the early firework shows and the late night preparations. But they'd ended up sleeping in and missing a good deal of the Washington Parade. And now, the Hall of Justice was overrun with reporters and witnesses to the world's most boring speeches.

Delegates from around the world had gathered at the Hall of Justice to give speeches about the heroes and what they thought of them. It was actually so stupid.

“It's pretty boring,” replied Uncle Ralph with a nod, “But hey, you picked this channel.”

“Aunt Iris is going to be on any minute,” argued Wally impatiently, “Or, well, she's supposed to be on. When is she going to get on? When does the actual stuff start?”

“After the old men sing,” replied Sue, fiddling with a crossword puzzle, “Okay, 12 down, 'To follow the law', five letters.”

“What are the other letters dear?” asked Joan, as she sat beside Sue and continued to knit peacefully. She was making Jay's scarves and mittens for the year. And maybe a hat.

“No idea,” replied Sue, as she chewed on the tip of her pen.

Everyone was lying around in their pyjamas. Rather than getting into proper beds, Joan had let the group move the couches to the edges of the wall and create a large fort of pillows and blankets to sleep in. It helped that Jay and Ralph could clear the mess in under five minutes whenever they felt like, and if Wally helped, it would be less than two. The benefits to those with metapowers.

“Sue, put the crossword down,” called Ralph, eyes glued to the screen, “You can't solve those for shi-shitake mushrooms.”

“I'm not like- five. I know the word shit,” scoffed Wally, glaring at Ralph for  _babying_ him.

“It's not for your sake,” said Ralph automatically, “There are ladies in the room! You don't cuss around a woman! It just ain't proper.”

“Darling,” replied Sue absently, “Your sense of propriety is as stretchy as your body. It's probably better that you let Barry teach him those life lessons. And take Hal with you when those begin.”

“You love the extra stretch,” replied Ralph with a lewd wink, and Sue gave a small laugh in reply. Jay shook his head at the strange couple, while Wally once again felt like he had missed something.

And then everything went to pieces.

The screen started to shake, and immediately Ralph and Jay jumped up off the couch, their ingrained response already pushing them forward. Sue dropped the crossword onto the ground, her eyes dark and stormy as she stood slower than the boys. Joan set her needles in her lap, pale-faced.

“What's going on?” asked Wally automatically, rising despite being unsure of what was happening.

“Trouble kid,” replied Jay absently, “Trouble's coming.”

* * *

 

Around the world, television screens that had been focused on the celebrations and festivities world wide began to shake and scramble. Children stared at their parents in shock, and automatically the mood changed. Once cheerful and excited, now worried and suspicious. It was a full hour before the screens began to come to life all around the world.

The mayhem struck at half-past noon, when the signal returned. Giant robots were roaming the streets, carrying heavy artillery and destroying everything in sight. Anything that closely resembled the League logos, anything that touted of the Justice League, even if it was remotely related, was destroyed with a careful blast of energy. People scrambled from the streets as buildings began to burn.

The attacks were strategic. Gotham City, Central City, Metropolis, Star City, Coast City, and Washington D.C. All places heavily affiliated with heroes of the Justice League. All places that were throwing some of the most massive celebrations in their honour.

Ralph and Jay were out the door with a quick kiss to their respective wives. Wally was staring at the carnage on the screen. Joan and Sue had relocated to the basement. Which turned out to be ten times more high-tech than Wally had thought.

It was a well-designed, well-stocked bunker. It would survive anything, including a nuclear attack. The walls were pristine and white. The television was broadcasting at a clearer signal than any other television in Joan's house. The computer was already hooked up to the Justice League database, and Sue was commandeering the entire system, scouring for information about the attacks and her husband's whereabouts.

Joan had stopped knitting. Instead, she was pacing.

“Will they be okay?” asked Wally, anxious as he sidled near to Sue, “What's going on?”

“Polaris had a reason for taking those weapons,” replied Sue grimly, “The League's got their hands full containing the robotic mess. I'm scouring for clues in cyberspace, which is no cake walk, let me tell you. All I've got is that the Russian mafia was a front for whatever Polaris was doing. He sold those weapons to a closed account in America, for a cheaper price. The sell wasn't for profit, he was being paid for a job.”

“Is Aunt Iris okay? And Uncle Barry?” asked Wally nervously, the words passing over him.

Sue paused in her typing, and her eyes softened as she pet his head. The lack of reply was enough to let Wally know be grateful. She knew as much as he did. Sue changed the codes she was typing, and pulled up a the League radio frequency.

 _“Superman!”_  came a voice, unfamiliar and a bit deeper than the normal female register, but still womanly,  _“There's kids in that building!”_

 _“_ _I'm on it Lois! Stay here out of the way!”_  replied a deeper, familiar voice with a bit of a Southern drawl and a commanding presence. Wally nearly squeaked as he recognized the voice of the illustrious Superman himself.

Messages kept pouring through the frequency like that. He heard someone telling Superman that she and Pa were safe in the barn bunker. Another stoic voice was telling Batman that Robin and Speedy were out patrolling Gotham, and that the Cave computers were scouring for more information. Then Robin's high-pitched register was cracking through, cackling as he called out that between Zatara, Robin and Speedy, one of the robots terrorizing Park Row was down. John Stewart was barking orders in his comm, yelling at someone named Question to get out of the way while a Huntress cackled and told Question to do his searching thing while she took care of the rest.

Joan had stopped pacing as she murmured that she, Wally, and Sue were safe. The tween nearly jumped out of his skin to hear Uncle Barry's affirmative at receiving the message before there was a boom.

“Sound barrier,” murmured Joan, “That's what it sounds like anyways. He's going fast.”

The sounds of yells and murmurs kept pouring through. Someone named Zatanna was with Madame Xanadu, and Zatara was relieved to hear that. J'onn J'onzz nearly got taken down by a robot, but Red Tornado had his back. Someone named Kathy was swearing loudly that John had better be careful.

An hour must have passed, and still no reprieve. Wally felt useless and weak, his legs were vibrating. Sue was still clicking away at the keyboard, though her eyes drifted to the radio frequency, a look of longing on her face. There had been no news from Jay and Ralph, not even a squeak.

“I- I should be there!” cried Wally suddenly, standing and moving quickly, feeling the energy around the room, feeling a need to  _run_.

“What?!” cried both women, turning to stare at him in horror.

“I should be there! Jay and Ralph- They haven't said anything! They need me!” cried Wally, firm as he glared at the two of them.

Sue was gaping open-mouthed at Wally. Joan was oddly silent, assessing him. Wally felt like he was under a microscope, and the bacteria had done something weird, like- turn purple when it should have stayed orange.

“You aren't even properly trained yet kid,” replied Sue softly, “Sit this one out. They're heroes, they'll be fine. I bet if anything they're out there smashing robots to bits and are busy. It's all part of the waiting game.”

“Well I don't want to play anymore!” cried Wally, annoyed. “I'm heading after them!”

Sue started to protest, but Joan raised a hand up to cut them both off. Her eyes were heavy as she stared at Wally with such grief.

“You can't keep a Flash away from the fire, Sue,” she stated softly.

Wally gaped at Joan, who slumped in her chair, looking oddly proud and disapproving all at once. Wally felt like smiling and squirming and leaping for joy and hiding all at once. Instead, he held his ground, waiting for Joan to say something.

“Jay and Barry keep some spare suits in here,” said Joan finally, standing up and moving to the wall. A panel emerged as soon as she touched it, and her fingers flew as she typed a code in. Wally stared in awe as a drawer popped out of the wall, revealing various red and blue and yellow spandex suits, with cowls and helmets glittering beside them.

“I'll wear the helmet,” said Wally, lifting it from the drawer decisively. “Can't be wearing a cowl out there. Those things are annoying.”

“I'll take your word on it,” replied Joan with a small smile, “But those things are heavy and hard to adjust to. Barry had trouble when he tried it on. Here, take this cowl of Barry's. It's an old design, when he wanted to change the costume up. Ended up deciding against it, because he was already familiar as the Flash.”

“Are you insane Joan?!” demanded Sue, interrupting Wally from admiring the shiny red cowl, with an open top and domino eyes, “He's an untrained kid!”

Joan looked over at Sue, placing a protective hand on Wally's head with a sigh, “He's a Flash before he's a kid Sue. We can't keep him out of this anymore than we can stop breathing.”

“Iris will murder us,” came Sue's reply, flat and staccato as she glared, “And never let us ever see the kid again.”

“Oh trust me honey,” replied Joan, “She'll thank us for keeping the kid from doing something stupid like running out on his own without a comm and any gear. And I don't know about you, but I'm far from the days where I could chase after a normal child, let alone a Flash.”

Sue paused for a moment, eyes sliding to Wally, who was gaping at Joan. It was like she had read his mind. He had already planned his escape. Sue sighed, threw her hands up in the air, and muttered about old ladies with psychic powers, grey hairs and little boys who didn't know what they were in for.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	16. Unofficial Debut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally hits the streets of Central during a crisis. He's not entirely prepared for his first mission. Nor is anyone else.

Jay grimaced at the carnage. Whoever had created these robots had done a damn good job. They had to be taken apart precisely. Jay had tried to buzz his hand through one metal alloyed machine to dismantle it quickly and efficiently, but the damn thing had blown up right in his face and nearly sent him scattering backwards. He'd been just fast enough to avoid the main attack when he realized what was happening, but he wasn't young no more. His old bones weren't quite the same, and that sort of aftermath rattled his old head up. Took longer to heal the bruises and breaks, and he wasn't as fast as he'd like to be.

Joan was going to _murder_  him when she found out. Bake his body into a pie and smile while doing it. Good Lord he loved that woman. And he was damn well going to tell her that when he got back to her tonight.

As a result of his slowed down pace from that disaster, Jay hadn't had time to comm anyone and let them know he was alright. It was somewhat of a miracle Ralph still knew Jay was okay. He hadn't had time to let Joan know he was safe. She'd know though. She was a smart woman, Joan Garrick.

The rescue efforts were more grating than the robots themselves. Four of the machines had detonated before the police and civilians realized they were out of their depth. Ralph was stretching along the streets and alleys, pulling people out of burning buildings and cars, huddling them to the police and emergency crews who were working overtime to get people to safety. Central's Carmine Street looked like a fucking mess for a main street. They'd take all year to rebuild it back to it's splendor.

It wasn't just Central that was suffering. According to the reports, Atlantis was under attack as well, but from special sea robots. The citizens of Atlantis were more than capable of handling thing, but it meant they'd be getting no nautical back-up until their citizens were safe and accounted for. Gotham was being ravaged by twice as many robots as Central. Metropolis had Superman and J'onn J'onnz and Red Tornado to handle the heavy load. Central should have had more back-up, but Wonder Woman was delayed by the attacks at Coast.

The Question, an odd fellow for a hero which really said quite a bit about him, was running investigations on how to shut all the robots down. Something about a conspiracy. His girlfriend, the Huntress, was too busy covering him to help John out and Wonder Woman had been delivered there since Coast was being ravaged and the Green Lantern's attacks weren't suited to the same finesse that the Elongated Man and the Flash could pull off. His attacks were better suited for wide-range maneuvers, and we wasn't fast enough to stop the robots. Two of the robots had damaged two of Central's Zeta-tubes, one by Barry's house and the other by the police station. The Atom was somewhere in the Zetas, trying to get them restarted and pulling more heroes here from abroad.

The attacks were apparently a special American delivery.

Jay and Ralph were on their own until the Atom could get things going.

Jay paused, stopping to stare behind him. Rubble was littering the streets, piled up on top of more rubble. Fires were still burning, but they were small and contained enough to go out on their own. The wind was picking up, however, and it wasn't natural. Jay narrowed his eyes as the air crackled with intensity. Something was coming.

In the distance, surrounded by dark plumes of smoke, slate-grey asphalt and broken brown buildings, the air danced. It was a familiar pattern of speed. Johnny? No- too spasmodic. This was wild and freer than Johnny Quick ever was. Not Barry either, too slow to be Barry, and lacking that same grace or finesse. This was rough and shoddy and wild. Youthful and-

_No._

_No way._

Stopping right in front of him was a canary yellow kid, beaming at Jay with his red hair poking out, and red goggles strapped to his face. He wasn't all that yellow. His pants were red, a shiny red that made Jay's eyes hurt and resembled Barry's spandex costume. The pants from Wally's first run. Joan had kept them for the sentiment in the basement bunker. His boots were yellow things that resembled galoshes more than runners, and Jay knew instantly that those were Barry's, back when he'd started out and been a bit more yellow than red. The shirt, a variation Jay had made for himself, was yellow and a bit too big on the kid, but was tucked into Barry's smaller pants that he'd made for the kid's first run. The sleeves were hurriedly shoved into Joan's red gardening gloves. The goggles had been Jay's, from a time when he felt he might need them because his doctor had warned him that he'd be needing glasses in the future. That was thirty years ago, and he still had his Pa's twenty-twenty vision.

Pieces of old costume that had been pulled together in a muddled rush.

"No. Go home right now," growled Jay, fear dancing in his lungs as the kid beamed at him. "You're uncle will be furious kid. _I'm_  furious! You're not ready for this!"

"Yes I am!" argued Wally firmly, crossing his arms, "And I'm going to help!"

The problem with this situation, to Jay's utmost consternation, was that there was no time to have a proper argument on the matter. He couldn't send the kid away, because there was a chance the kid could get attacked on the way home. The fact that Joan had dressed the kid, and that he was carrying a comm, was proof enough that the ladies had tried to delay him, that the ladies knew it was futile to try and argue with a Flash. They were just too quick on the getaway.

And Jay could drag the kid home, sure he could, but people were dying and hurting around them. More robot psychos were out there, causing mayhem in Central, driving them to crazy heights. And any minute now, a robot could show up and try and attack them. Or worse, their maker could appear. And what if the kid got attacked on his way home?

The downside to being a Flash was those moments when even being the fastest person alive wasn't enough.

"Fine," growled Jay firmly, "You'll stay with me. One step out of line, and I'll bench you so hard that the bench will be a part of any future costume you wear. Now c'mon."

* * *

It was sort of surprising how little actual butt-kicking the Flashes were charged with. Due to their speeds, Jay explained, they were needed on the ground. Too many people were injured and Wally struggled as he got his first crash course in being a speed-paramedic. Since Jay was the experienced one, Wally was rushing around ahead of Jay, searching every crevice and corner for people who were injured.

His first rescue was a fat cat.

The cat in question was stuck on the broken fire-escape outside one of Central's high-rise apartment. It was a calico kitty that had a bit too much to eat and had singed fur. It was quaking in it's fur, looking freaked out.

"Hey kitty!" called Wally softly, gently plodding over and holding his arms out.

The cat did not come.

There was no way Wally could just fly up to the cat. Glancing around, he wondered if there was any sort of ramp to get the cat from the railing. Their was the fire-escape's stairs, but they looked rusted and threatening, ready to creak and collapse at any moment. Whoever was in charge of this building was clearly not keeping up with maintenance for the important stuff.

Wally rushed out of the alley, searching for something to help him out. Two minutes later he was back with a broken car door, holding it up to the cat, who thankfully took the hint and skidded down.

Wally stared at the door as he scooped the cat up. It had been so easy to just lift and hold it up. He could feel the rushing particles, slower than he had been. When did he get so strong? He still couldn't open the pickle jar without help!

"Wally!" called Jay, yelling out for him to return to help.

The pre-teen turned and ran, careful to be slower to keep the cat from freaking out. It didn't help much, as the creature tried to scratch at him, but the suit he wore was so reinforced that he didn't feel a thing. In fact, Wally would have been unaware of the cat's struggles if it weren't for the wails and mews it emitted.

When Wally found Jay, he was hovering by a car. Underneath the car was a man, looking pale and glassy-eyed, tears streaming down his face. Wally stopped in his tracks, holding the cat closer as he gaped. The brunette under the car was bleeding from his shoulder. The blood was not stagnant. It was flowing from his arm, pouring down his sleeve that was a bright yellow to celebrate the Flash. The Green Lantern pin he'd been wearing was dismantled and only the little logo was the only sign that it had been a pin.

Now it was used to fasten the make-shift bandages Jay had made.

"Kid," instructed Jay, as was his codename now, well, at-least until he could get a new one, "We need to get the car off of him. His legs are fine, but the car is pretty damaged and when I move it, shrapnel's going to fall off. I need you to keep an eye on the debris and knock it backwards. He can't lose anymore blood."

"Where's Molly? Molly was right here! Where is she?!" asked the man, his eyes wide in horror and not focusing on anything specific.

"He's in shock," continued to Jay on a quieter note, "Try and keep him warm kid. Stay close. We Flash's are built like heat-packs."

Wally nodded, feeling a little sick when he realized that he could see the man's bone. Movies had nothing on this. The white thing was jutting out of his shoulder, just slightly bent upwards, and it looked so gross as the nubs shifted and strained, the muscles torn open to reveal the wound. He was sweating a whole lot, and it just looked awful as the man whimpered and asked for Molly.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing his bile, Wally nodded, and moved towards the man, keeping his hand on the guy and trying to radiate heat.

With a jolt, he realized he could feel the man's speed. It was like recognizing the speeds of moving objects, but weirder. He could sense the slowing down of the blood-flow in his body. It was like a humming song, something slow, like the music Auntie Iris liked to listen to. He could grasp a sense of the cells in his body, their various movements, pittering along like rain-drops in the spring, when it wasn't really raining but it was just sort of wet. Nothing like the tornado of energy that was spinning in Wally's own body. This was subdued. Depressing, and beautiful all at once.

It was like feeling a series of warm vibrations, of different speeds, all across his hand. The particles were thrumming, offering themselves to him. Offering to share their speed. To become one. It was just so easy, and Wally felt his own energy, dancing and thrumming and he just wanted to- just a little- he wanted to share that speed. To give it all away to this man and let him feel the energy and the thrumming.

He dragged his hand back in horror, as the man stared at him with wide, buggy eyes. He looked healthier all of a sudden. His skin wasn't so pale, and the wound looked less bloody. What had just happened?!

"Ready Kid?"

"Re- Ready!"

The car flipped up into the air, and Jay was using his arms to create wind to move the car up and up and up into the air, twisting them below the body of the car to create a tornado that lifted the car into the air, floating it gently above the ground and causing Wally to gasp, a desperate need to join the motions Jay was making, to speed up and to keep running- Stop that!

Jay had moved the car far enough way that he could run, running in circles on the ground, continued the tornado as he lifted the broken car and took it away to the other side of the road. Wally was already moving now, back in the game and focused, though feeling more disoriented than ever. The shrapnel pieces that fell from the car were humming in the air. He could practically hear them singing, and it was so easy to just catch them as he moved, his arms stretching and plucking the slow ballads out of the air, and dropping them in a pile to the side.

The man on the ground was staring at Wally in shock. Jay was already beside him, shifting the man into his arms and getting ready to run.

"That- Who- Flash- but what?" he babbled, staring at Wally- "He's yellow!"

"That he is," chuckled Jay, "Looks like you're out of shock for now. Let's get you ready to move. Get going ahead Kid. I'll take that pretty kitty for you back to the medical camps with Mr. Carlton over here. If you find anyone that's crushed or got something broken, don't move them until I'm there. Check the buildings for any victims."

In the distant, a bomb resounded. One of the robots had gone off. Wally stared in horror at the sky as it darkened with plumes of smoke, rising into the air. It was like watching grey snakes thrash in the air, fighting with the whiter snakes of smoke in the other areas and battling the clouds and sun as they worked.

Shaking his head, Wally realized Jay had begun moving already, tuning Wally out as he soothed Mr. Carlson. He hoped the man would be alright, but for now, he had a job to do.

* * *

Inside the first building where he'd found the Flash-cat, Wally discovered a mother and daughter, hiding inside the basement near the boiler room. Wally got the daughter out first, running much slower, and cradling the five-year old's head to keep her from getting whiplash. The mother was much easier to remove, as she clung to him tightly, though it was a bit harder to run with such a heavy weight! It threw off his balance, and he very nearly crashed into a telephone pole outside the building as he excavated them from their homes.

Both mother and daughter were staring at him in awe as he stood on the street. Jay was already gone, delivering Mr. Carlson to safety.

"You're not the Flash," stated the girl, staring at him with wide eyes, "But you run as fast as him!"

"I'm er- the Kid," explained Wally with a bit of a grin, "Now, I need to take you guys back to the officers. I think I can carry you both."

"Are you sure?" asked the motherly woman, looking nervously at Wally with grey eyes filled with concern, "You look a little young son. And thin. Maybe we should wait for the Flash?"

"I got you," replied Wally firmly, "Trust me. I'm a Flash too, or did you miss the run?"

He flushed, and the automatic bubble of apology was at his lips. He hadn't meant to be so rude! It had just been such a long day, and he had seen that man- and something had happened and he should really apologize right now for snapping but-

"He's got us momma!" whispered the girl, "He's the Flash's kid! The Flash has a kid mommy! Do you think he'll come play with us a bit more?"

"Of course I will," winked Wally, settling into the role of hero, despite the pink stain on his cheeks. It was so weird to be at the center of such an adoring gaze. "And er- sorry about that ma'am."

Despite the mother's worry, the apology and earnest confidence Wally displayed mollified her. It helped that the smoke from the robot was still in the air, menacing and vicious. Wally managed to get the mother onto his back, far more certain that she'd hang on for dear life, unlike the little girl who seemed a bit more unpredictable. The girl was strapped to his front.

Wally set out at a slower pace, a more controlled run. It was faster than a car, but not by much. The little girl attached to his front was squealing in delight as her mother kept giving Wally nervous glances.

Running with their weight was hard, no doubt about it. Their speeds were singing to him, calling out and asking him to give something to them. Asking for his energy. Asking to join with his body and become one, or vice versa. He very nearly tripped over some of the larger pieces of debris. The smaller pieces and dust became clouds behind him as he moved. The larger pieces were harder to avoid, particularly because his senses were so skewed. On one hand, his entire body was thrumming and strained as he felt the bodies of the girl and mother, both humming at a soft frequency, crooning and calling to him in that song of speed, that it was easy to ignore all other sounds, like the slow sounds of debris. But on the other hand, much slower debris and their vibrations were barely felt. It was much harder to sense where the debris was as he moved.

Thankfully, the mother seemed to be willing to yell and shriek every time he got close, and besides the ringing in his ear drums, Wally felt free enough to follow the path Jay had shown him to deliver these guys to safety. It was probably a good thing that everyone in Central had been out of their homes today, enjoying the celebrations, otherwise he'd have to rush and could risk injuring his passengers.

When they arrived at the camp, Wally laid the ladies down, searching for a place to send them. Not many people noticed their arrival, as the Elongated Man had just arrived, stretching like a large sea of purple and white, hands on the ground as almost twenty people slid down his body. Wally gaped in shock. It was one thing to see what Uncle Ralph could do on television, it was another thing entirely to see Ralph's body stretch like that, in this almost inhuman form as his neck elongated itself to grin and smile at the traumatized passengers.

And then it saw him.

The eyes grew comically wide, and Wally was still staring at Ralph, as Ralph stared at him.

"What on- How- Sue- Why?" griped Ralph, as he brought his legs from over a  _building_  back to the ground in front of Wally, morphing back into an ordinary man as his body scrunched and folded like it hadn't just been balanced over a ten-story building!

"It's Kid," replied Wally helpfully, as the citizens of Central began to notice and talk about the random kid in yellow who seemed to know the Elongated Man and was dressed in a very bad rendition of a Flash costume. It was, after all, the wrong color scheme. Central City citizens took a lot of offense to costumes that were inaccurate. Wally would know, he had been one of them just a few weeks ago.

"Why are you even here?!" roared Ralph, looking like he was going to have a heart-attack, "You're- I mean- The Flash is going to be furious! Kid-

"He saved us!" squealed the little girl, "He ran as fast as the Flash!"

The mother, however, seemed less eager to discuss their tale as a crowd began to form. Instead, she was staring at Wally with horrified eyes as she said, "The Flash doesn't know he's out?!"

"Um- Grandpa- I mean- Old Flash knew," argued Wally, shying back towards Ralph, who despite being angry, was also a lot less nerve-wracking than the large crowd and the strangers he'd just rescued. Apparently the confidence of rescuing people wasn't ready for crowds yet.

"Knew or knows now?" reprimanded Ralph, arms folded across his chest.

It was now that Wally realized that Ralph's face was weird. It was twisted so that his nose looked less bulbous, and his jaw was shaped more square. If Wally hadn't known Ralph was the Elongated Man, it might be tricky to connect the two. It was also sort of funny, but Ralph had contorted his face to look uglier than he did in reality. Self-consciously, Wally moved his hand to his goggles. Were they enough of a disguise?

Ralph had already moved on from berating him, not realizing Wally had been distracted. His eyes were back on the streets of Central, filled with robots, "I'm letting Flash know you're here. Get going Kid."

"Right," replied Wally, feeling a bit dizzy as everyone was looking at him with curiosity and awe and was that – respect? He felt strange and awkward, and shaking his head out like there was water in his ears. Backing away slowly, until he was a few feet away and the back-draft wouldn't hit anyone. He gave a last wave to the girl he had saved, who was babbling away at the curious audience while Ralph stretched up, taller than the apartment buildings as he lifted himself across town.

Wally turned on his heels, and with a boom, he was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, if anyone is in shock around you, don't move them if they have an injury above the head. Or just don't move them period. Jay is a trained soldier, he knows what he's doing.
> 
> Secondly, this chapter was so crappy that I ended up rewriting a good deal of it before posting. And it wasn't that exciting as I bet you were hoping. Not enough action. But plenty of mystery (unless you know comic canon, but I'm playing around with that too, so still somewhat mysterious). On that note, I'm thinking of calling this a crossover, because even though it's YJverse, there's a lot of comic elements, and then DCAU elements. Ultimately though, I'm too lazy to do anything about it.
> 
> Also, I started posting a fourth story (I know, I'm supposed to be busy and then I do that!) for the YJverse. It's based on an LJ prompt with Pied Piper hypnotizing Wally into dating him. Check it out if that sounds up your alley. If not, no problems.
> 
> BETAS? ANYONE? PLEASE?
> 
> Finally, I'm going to try and make Sunday my unofficial day for updates, to try and return to some coherent schedule (Don't hold me to that). I had a French evaluation this week, and a History thing, and a Chem lab. This following week is a Chem test, another History thing (presentation actually on Thursday) and an English presentation for a book I haven't even started reading yet (Scarlet Letter).
> 
> So, let's see what happens come Sunday. Also- On [Tumblr](sunny-donna.tumblr.com)


	17. Acceleration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get more and more out of control.

"What do you mean you want me on the helicopter?" asked Iris, gaping as she heard Phil, one of the managers of GBS, yelling into the phone about Twitter going viral.

"There's a new kid on the block! Flash's son! We need video footage! GBS had better be confirming it before anyone else!" yelled Phil, and she could practically see the man's apoplectic red face, vein bulging above his bushy eyebrows.

This was completely against her contract, and it was deliberately sending her into danger. Of course, any investigative journalist or reporter worth their salt knew that sometimes the job just meant getting into precarious situations. But there was a difference between precarious and outright crazy. One robot-bomb explosion and she'd go flying. Or those bots would deliberately gun her down.

Those should have been her concerns. She should be trying to formulate a response for why she wasn't going to fly in a dingy helicopter above murderous robots. Instead, Iris's heart went cold, as she realized what Phil was talking about. Wally couldn't have. He couldn't have! He was just a boy. There was no way her baby nephew had donned a suit and come out to fight crime.

Iris snapped her phone shut, shuddering. Then her hand went discreetly to her shoulder, as though she was brushing off lint from her purple silk blouse. Instead, she pressed down on her bra-strap, immediately tuning back into the Justice League frequency from the earring she had, which was tuned to pick up her voice frequency and broadcast it back to the League with little interference. Various yells and messages were being spattered, and god she had no place on this since Ralph and Jay didn't need anything from her. And she had a job to do that was demanding her attention.

"Where is he?" asked Iris, unamused and uncaring of all the protocol she was breaking and the lines she was crossing and the job she was neglecting.

"Barry's fine, Iris," came Katar Hol's dulcet tones, "The building missed him by an inch. He's fine."

That was not the 'he' she was talking about, and while it was relieving to know Barry wasn't dying today, Iris couldn't make the words connect. Especially since now all she could think about was the fact that Wally- her baby- was out there and buildings and psycho-bomb robots could get to him and Barry wasn't there to keep him safe and this was not how he was supposed to become a hero!

"Iris?" asked Barry, surprised to hear her on the comm, "What's going on?"

"Iris!"

Finally, Ralph was on the connection. Iris was absolutely still as she hissed, "Where is he? What is he even doing here?!"

"I had no idea," came Ralph, sounding apologetic and sweet, and Iris wanted to forgive and let-go, but she just couldn't, "Honestly! I just saw the kid. I sent him back into the city. I'm sorry Iris, but Jay and I need more hands. He saved a kid and her mom, y'know."

There was radio silence for a moment, and then-

"Wally is doing what?!" demanded Hal, from wherever he was as something flew by and smacked near to him.

"He's going by the Kid for now," replied Jay, "And he's doing okay. We're watching him, Iris. I promise."

Iris was silent, and then she sighed as she heard Barry reply, "Keep an eye on him, Jay. I'll be down there as soon as we get Washington secure! Be careful and don't do anything stupid. All of you!"

Turning off the frequency, the red-headed reporter turned back to the helicopter. Barry was going to be furious if she got into that thing. Particularly when he'd asked her to be safe and not risk herself. This was totally a breach of her contract, and Phil could get fired if she died, to say the least. Hell- she could get fired if she didn't die as a result.

"Load her up," hollered Iris to her camera crew of Hank and Sarah, "We're flying into the pit!"

Flashes weren't the only ones who protected their own, after all.

* * *

Holy hell! Holy friggin hell! Oh my sweet Einstein and all other forms of god and science! He had- Oh my god! He was running extremely quickly, the wind behind him sending even the bigger shards of debris up into the air before they fell back down. Wally- Wally had passed the sound barrier!

Immediately Wally came to a stop, gasping for air as he stared behind him in awe. He had broken the sound barrier! He was running as fast as sound! A giggle came to his throat, and then he was laughing. He had broken the sound barrier in front of a bunch of people and he had done it! He had to tell Uncle Barry! He had to tell Jay.

But nobody was around.

He was alone on a street. With a sigh, he broke off the situation, and instead, returned to the task at hand. Saving lives. Wally navigated through the streets, feeling the air around him thrum with speed and energy. Not just speed. Energy.

So much of it.

He was really a living science experiment.

How did people live their entire lives not realizing the world was thrumming? That energy was escaping and dancing around them and that they were all so slow. For a moment, Wally was paused, glittering in the feel of the world. It was magnificent and beautiful and fast. So fast. Everything was so fast and slow all at once.

He reached out, almost light and elated, as the energy thrummed on his fingers, beating in his soul. It was amazing. This sensation, it was like the whole word was thrumming, vibrating, slow and steady as he crackled and ran, speeding around and dancing in the streets.

This was speed.

He was speed.

There was a sudden a ground quaking thump behind him, heavy and commanding, and Wally veered to a stop, tripping over himself and landing with a face-plant on the asphalt. As he rolled over and shook out the sudden abrupt change of motion, he noticed it.

The robots were large, mechanical beasts. They weren't designed to resemble humans, like most robots were. No, these were straight up moving weapons. The robot was seven-feet tall, and seemed to hover in the air. It had dark, black armor, steely and sleek, like the coffee machine Wally's mom had. It was rounded at the top, with a beeping orange light that resembled an ominous eye, with a dark line of armor going through it. The Eye of Sauron.

Wally's eyes widened, as he realized the central-torso of the armor was covered in holes, and from those holes, little tubes extended, like parasites crawling over the robot, straight and purposeful as they began to glow white. A large white danger.

Wally was on his knees and at the side as the beam of energy whooshed past, his breath gone as he stared in awe. The robot was dangerous. From the side of it's rounded, plump figure, two arms came out, extending like a crane, and folding to form an arm, a mechanized, terrifying arm that promised danger and threat to all that approached. It folded, forming the barrel of a gun where the hand should be, and then two bullets, fast and sharp, soared through the air towards him.

"Whoa," was all Wally could say, as he weaved through them both, and then turned his head, eyes wide as he realized they'd crash into the building.

And God they were so slow and so dangerous.

Unable to help it, Wally extended a hand, just touching the bullets as though to knock them away. The first halted, rocking in the air for a moment, before falling to the ground. The second veered off course and exploded a lamp-post.

Wally gaped at the sudden rush of energy he felt, thrumming through his body as he paused, still staring at the robot. The Eye of Sauron narrowed, dangerous as it scoped him out, trying and failing to find something satisfactory.

"J- Flash! Old Flash! Elongated Man, I could really use some back-up!" hollered Wally, as the next two bullets fired their way towards him.

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

"The new kid's out on the block."

"Y'know, Batman's got this place pretty much tied down. Can we-

"They've got a hub. The robots have a mother-ship in each city. To all heroes on the main channel, find the mother-ship and shut it down! This is Batman. I repeat, find the mother-ship and shut it down. Break the power-control, upload viruses, do whatever it takes but shut down their power-sources."

* * *

"They have a power source," muttered Hal, "Goddamit. They probably built the power-centres into the city. How the fuck did they sneak them in as part of the anniversary preparations?"

"That's because it probably wasn't anniversary preparations," replied Superman, before he inhaled deeply before blowing out freezing air, creating an ice-bed that extended from the ground up, supporting one of the sky-scrapers of Metropolis as it dangled precariously in the air.

Hal barely glanced at the ice-wall, as he extended six green lassos, mimicking Wonder Woman's style of fighting as they wrapped around six of the little angry turds. The ropes grew tighter and tighter, wrapping around each robot that was attempting to tear the city apart, forming into six eggs that squeezed, and within each contained egg, the robots blew, one after another. Each explosion shook Hal slightly, but he held strong in the air, watching the sparks below the green light, before he left the debris behind.

Superman was flying into the air, eyes glazed over, focused on X-ray to scout out the hidden mother-ships. Behind him, the ridiculous red cape was flapping with the wind. Hal flew up with him, extending a green wave of light, mimicking properties of a sonar. He'd already uploaded the robots' characteristics into his ring, and now he was searching for a match in the five mile radius.

"Anything?" asked Superman, as he turned his eyes to the west.

"Nada," replied Hal, extending his radius by ten miles, "Zip! Zilch! Nothing!"

"They never make it easy, do they?" asked Superman, grimacing as he turned his head, "Two of them, by Centennial Park. You or me?"

"You handle it big-blue," replied Hal, "I'll keep scanning the area."

"Don't over-extend yourself Hal," called Superman, and then he was gone.

"Alright, let's find me some of the big ugly chickens," muttered Hal.

* * *

Barry Allen stood perfectly still for just one minute. He was at the centre of Washington D.C, and his eyes were focused in the direction of Central. Wally was out there. He was somewhere too far away for Barry to reach, and too dangerous to be on his own.

This was not how Barry wanted Wally's debut to occur.

If Barry had to pick a method, he'd want Wally to prance out onto the field as his partner, running beside Barry, so that the Flash could keep a watchful eye, make sure that the kid didn't hurt himself. Make sure that the villains knew their place. The Rogues were dangers, sure, but they had morals of a kind. Women and children were off limits. You don't kill a woman or a kid. It just wasn't done.

These were mechanical machines. They had no morals, they had no scruples. They would slaughter Wally without hesitation. The image appeared before Barry could stop it. A bloodied, broken little boy, sitting in the I.C.U, like he had many months back. This time though, he wouldn't be the 'one in a million'.

He'd die.

He'd be buried in a tiny coffin near Ira West. And it would be Barry's fault. He didn't guard the notebook. He hadn't been there when Wally needed him most. He hadn't prepared the kid enough. There was suddenly a flash of wind, and he heard the sound of a bullet whistling through the air. Dodging quickly, he turned to see a robot, moving quickly towards him. It was stunning and for a moment, the Flash panicked as he pictured Wally in his place.

"Flash!" called Shayera, flying in front of him and swinging her mace hard and fast into one of the robots.

It soared into the air, exploding on impact as Barry wrapped his arms around Shayera's waist, weary of her great, greyish white wings as they pulled Hawkgirl away from the danger zone. His vision was obscured by her bright orange hair as it fluttered in front of his eyes, and then they were still.

Shayera backed away, standing in the light. Her golden armor gleamed, stained with dirt and shrapnel. Her eyes were wide behind her hawk-shaped mask, with a beak obscuring her nose. A dark shadow fell over her, and Barry turned to see his other friend.

Katar Hol soared above them, approaching to ensure his wife and friend were still alive. His wings, majestic beauties that they were, were erect and spread, as he hovered in the air, a ball and chain in one hand, the black spiked weapon dangling precariously by Barry's head. Katar's usual mace was missing, most likely switched out for a weapon with a longer range.

"We're fine, Hawkman," replied Barry to the unspoken question in the gentle blue eyes.

"This is not a time to daydream, my friend," replied Hawkman, his mouth a stern line below his own hawk-shaped mask, "Once we find the mothership, we can check on the boy."

For a moment, Barry paused in surprise. And then he remembered that the Thanegarians would know the situation, of course. They were members of the Justice League, and they were on the comm-system. His family crisis was aired in the open.

"I have a kill count of seven," announced Shayera, "That brings me up to seventy-eight total kills."

"I am at eighty, my dear," replied Katar with a small smile, "Let's hurry to bring the Flash home."

"Buck up, Flash," replied Shayera with a grin, "I have a husband to beat today, and I promise I'll work fast."

Flash stared at her, and then smiled as he replied, "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sunny-donna.tumblr.com](sunny-donna.tumblr.com)
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	18. To be a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this, we wrap up all the action, Wally plays with Speed, and heroes weigh the consequences of their lives and their jobs.

It was amazing how quickly a fight could go from bad to worse. One moment, Wally was trying to out-run a robot, hot on his heels, while avoiding any further damage to the city. The next three of the damned robots had him cornered; and he was forced to do a weird sort of dance, rummaging in and out of shots as they fired at him with their bullets and energy beam. This was crazy!

As the third robot of the hour finally managed to clip his side with a bullet, the impact grazing his side and finally breaking skin, Wally decided to admit that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't quite the way he had imagined it would be.

What was worse was that he couldn't get in touch with Jay or Ralph. His comm stopped working after he'd broken the sound barrier, and gee, wasn't that just a fantastic thing to happen on what had to be the crappiest day of the year?

The first thing Wally was doing when he got back was figuring out how his comm, of all the Flash comms, had to be the one to break. Right now, however, he needed to get the robots down.

And he had no idea how.

He couldn't think, it was all just instinct and blur and then the skin on his side wasn't bleeding any more.

Wait- what?!

He almost got flattened by another beam of white light that exploded a poor stop-sign in the background as he paused to take inventory of the newly healed patch of skin. That was- very very fast. Did Uncle B and Jay heal that fast?!

And then Wally remembered- He was speed.

He could do this.

The bullets ricocheted off the ground beside him, clanging like thunder on a warm summer day, imposing and threatening that moment of peace and serenity.

Well, he could maybe do this.

* * *

Iris was not focused. She had no idea where Wally was, and the news of some sort of power hub wasn't helping matters. On one end, Iris knew that her position up on the helicopter gave her ample space to scout, something that neither Ralph nor Jay would do as well from the ground. On the other hand- Wally was out there, and she needed to get to him.

"Dammit," she muttered to herself, "Paul, turn the copter, I think I saw an explosion on that side of the town."

"Got it Iris- but I ain't getting any closer than thirty feet. Ryan's going to have to zoom!" replied the ageing helicopter pilot, as he grimaced and turned the copter in the opposite direction of where Iris had last heard Wally was.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

* * *

It was with trepidation that Jay searched the ground. The comm-link that Wally should have been able to listen to, if not respond to, and receive orders was either failing, or Wally was in trouble. Jay highly doubted that the kid would be stupid enough to go out on his own and try and make things work. The kid knew he had to stay close by, and if Wally wasn't coming where Jay was ordering, well-

"You better be alright kid," muttered Jay quietly, "Or god help us all."

With that draining sentiment, Jay shuffled through the streets, searching for what could possibly resemble the giant battery powering these freaky robots.

* * *

"Yes! Come to papa!" crowed the Green Lantern, grinning wildly at the new jackpot. "In your face Superman!"

Hal was practically ready to dance in the air as he stared at the beauty that was his find. The power-source was in an abandoned warehouse, which was the least of Hal's worries and the first of his suspicions. Construction had been going on around the area, and sure enough, lead piles were scattered.

Minutes after the discovery, Superman was beside him, flying with the speed of God to see their discovery. He gazed down at the source, and his eyes glowed red.

The source itself was a large, egg-shapes dome, buried under the warehouse with at least another fifteen bots ready to strike. It resembled a dark black incubator in the earth, pulsing with a bright blue light as it was active. And it was easy. No protective mechanisms. Just a device prepared to ruin the Justice League anniversary and make them pay for taking the spotlight.

It was fried within seconds, the bots torn asunder by Superman's glowing red eyes.

"So, who runs this shit?" asked Hal, flying down beside Clark to assess the mostly gooey metallic situation.

Superman didn't even flinch as he plucked up one of the fried metallic pieces, with the neat little LexCorp logo plastered to the side.

"Surprised?" asked Superman dryly, "Lois is already investigating to see if she can make it the feature for tomorrow's paper. She let me know that this warehouse is one of his places too. He 'sold' it, but Lex never really sells things to anyone, now does he?"

Hal snorted at that, shaking his head, "Think we'll nail him this time?"

Superman was flying into the air, taking inventory of the entire situation as he responded with a murmur, "Probably not."

"So, Big S, handle the clean up?" called Hal, as Superman pressed on his comm, alerting Batman and the rest of the League to Metropolis' safety.

The Kryptonian gave Hal a sympathetic look, as he said, "No Hal, you're on clean-up. I'm needed in other parts of the country. John and Zatara have Coast secured, and Diana finally managed to get out from Coast and head she's flying to Central as we speak. But I need to head to Hub City. The Question, Huntress and Captain Atom need a little bit more help, and-"

And he was the better resource. Hal could move a lot faster with clean-up, while Superman and Atom intimidated the majority of the robots and got civilians to safety. Not to mention, until Ray got the zetas back up, nobody would be able to travel as fast as Superman. He could see the plan, but he couldn't make sense of it. If anything, Hal should be in Central, doing what Barry needed him to do.

But he was a hero.

And fucking Christ.

"I'm here," said Hal pathetically, "Go on Big Blue, I'll take care of Metropolis until you can get back."

Moments after Superman was gone, flying like a blue star into the sky, sailing over the country to get to Hub, Hal blasted the entire machine with another stock of green energy, squeezing the metal together and checking for any sign of activity.

There was none.

* * *

They found the Washington power source, hidden in a god-damned apartment building for the security guards assigned to protecting the civilians on the day of the anniversary. Boy was Bruce going to be pissed about that security breach.

The Flash and Katar were dismantling the entire system, trying to protect as much data as they could for Batman and the CIA. Shayera was on back-up and cleaning duty. She was getting civilians to safety and taking out any approaching threats. For the most part, the situation was resolved here.

The next step was to get the Hall of Justice, the newly gifted headquarters of the League, into order to deliver aid to any injured heroes and civilians. Barry was itching to get back to Central, but in order to prevent any major damage tomorrow, the clean-up had to be done today. So far, the Central City heroes were mostly quiet. There had been no upcoming threats or trouble.

Barry grimaced at the thought.

Clean-up was one of the less glamorous aspects of being a hero, and the least reported. On a slow news day, they'd bring up an image of a hero cleaning up after a fight, securing rubble, rebuilding the main infrastructure and helping construction workers deal with the more toxic after effects of a fight. It wasn't a job most heroes even liked. On a regular day, Barry was usually the one encouraging the heroes to take part. He even managed to talk Batman into helping out once (it might have had to do with the orphans; q Bruce had a weakness for kids), but for the most part, heroes like Barry, Superman and the Green Lanterns were the fastest at cleaning up.

"Well," said Shayera, as the system was finally down, and each robot fractured and weaponless, "I had a kill count of eighty-four."

Katar grimaced, "Eighty-two."

Shayera was beaming as her husband muttered about the unfairness of not counting the nest. Barry didn't even add his own two cents to the conversation. His hand was on his comm, trying to get news from Jay or Ralph or Iris about Wally. He had to know.

The pungent smell of molten copper and iron filled the air. Gun smoke sizzled in the corner of his eyes, and his very bones were sore. He definitely had a few bruises and scrapes from this one. But for the most part, this had been a relatively minor skirmish, more interested in creating damage than death. A grand show.

A dangerous show.

"Jay, Ralph, Iris- anyone- come in!" called Barry over the comm.

The flapping of wings, beating the air back as two Thanagerians landed beside him caught Barry's attention. They were giving him inquisitive, concerned looks. Shayera wasn't afraid to remove her mask, though Katar kept his on. He could see the worry in Shayera's fiery glance, particularly because she could hear the entire conversation in her comm.

Or at least, the lack of conversation.

 _"Barry?"_  crackled the system. It was Ralph, his voice, sounding somewhat stuffy, as though he'd broken his nose, came over the system.

"What's going on? Has Wonder Woman arrived?" asked Barry, intent and determined.

 _"Iris found the mother-cell, and Diana and I are taking it out. The old Flash hash gone on MIA, but I think he'sh on the other side of town,"_  replied Ralph, and there was so much in that sentence that Barry wanted to take apart and he just didn't know where to start.

"Iris what?!"

 _"She's fine. The Atom got the zetas working again. Batman's shummoning all heroes and affiliates to the Hall of Jushtish. Kids with the older Flash, the old man'sh been shending him ordersh all day,"_  continued Ralph easily,  _"Diana and I are going to wrap up here and get the cleanup going. The ladiesh are heading to the Hall of Justish, ASAP."_

"The reporter- Iris- what happened to her- How-

 _"She took a helicopter into the fray. Look- we'll get there. I got to go, Flash,"_  said Ralph, sounding as sympathetic as possible.

And then the line was cut.

A heavy hand lay on Barry's shoulder, but Barry didn't say much to that. He was after all, a hero.

* * *

The plan Wally devised was incredibly dangerous. It was a terrible idea. In fact, it wasn't even scientifically sound. If anything, Wally should just turn around and run with his tail between his legs.

But the Flash wouldn't do that. And he was the Kid. The Kid Flash.

That was sort of sweet.

If he survived this, maybe he'd take up the moniker.

"Hey- big fat and ugly!" chimed Wally, "Over here!"

The egg-shaped domes turned to face him, their orange, glowing eyes narrowing. It was intensely creepy, like they were angry, when, in reality, they were just focusing their scope. Wally was standing on the edge of the road, cornered and still for the first time since he'd entered this fight. His heart was pounding incredibly fast, and he wasn't sure how to handle this.

But he did have a plan.

The rays fired towards him, and Wally moved, this time, towards the rays instead of away.

"Kid!" yelled a voice, as Wally sped up, running straight at the white ray of death.

Wally didn't falter, he couldn't even hear it as he was directly absorbed by the white light. He was speed.

* * *

Jay couldn't move fast enough. His heart nearly gave out as he rounded the corner, to find three bots, all cornered in one area, their blasts of energy narrowed and angled together at Wally. Wally, the little boy with a big heart.

The rays were large, larger than any living man. As the energy rays collided to make one giant death ray, Wally West was running straight towards them, foolishly. For what purpose? Jay wasn't even sure. The boy was a red and yellow blur, his hair flying behind him before he was engulfed, and then, just like that he was gone. Disappearing into oblivion as though he'd never existed.

Jay's eyes widened, his heart nearly stopped. Maybe it did stop. Maybe Jay's time had come and this was all a hallucination of white light going for the wrong person. The white light should have been for him, he was the old timer, he was the one who should have gone. Not the kid. Never the kid.

And then he fell to his knees.

Wally West was gone.

* * *

Barry was at the Hall of Justice. He was forced to race around Washington, checking on all the Senators, the Parliamentary men, and the elite officials who called it home. In the midst of the chaos, it would be no surprise if one of them went missing. Batman was already checking all servers for a breach. As Barry checked each man off his list, he cautiously awaited the news from Central City. News that Wally was okay, news that was important dammit.

And where was Iris in all this mess? What exactly had his wife been doing, if not staying safe? Why was it so hard for the Wests to just stay safe, for crying out loud! It wasn't even that hard. Just take care of yourself. Don't go head first into danger. Just stay out of the way!

"Is Mr. Walters in?" asked Barry numbly to the lobby-boy, crouched behind his desk and looking weathered and frightened. "Hey, it's alright kid, the danger's over. We're fine."

He leaned down, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, and the boy reached out, warbled and with an accent familiar to South-East Asians, began to reply his thank-yous.

Barry let the kid blubber, barely more than seventeen. He shouldn't have to be so terrified, and this made the entire thing worth it. He waited patiently for the kid to calm down, and once he knew that Senator Walters was safe (and he made sure to double-check with his own eyes), tucked away with his wife and kids as well as Senator Mackie, Barry headed off.

Around him, the city was still stagnant. Still waiting for that moment of confirmation, that everything was actually okay. Washington was dark, bleak and crumbly around him. The city had taken a beating today. Tomorrow it would be pristine, clean and ready to face the world. But for today, it needed to rest.

* * *

Jay was gasping for air, clutching his chest as he stood, staring at the place that Wally had disappeared. The air itself was vibrating, and he just couldn't understand. There was no blood, there was no sign of damage. No crispy tarmac indicating that a life had once stood there. Wally was just gone.

Vanished.

The air itself was empty. There was no little boy, too eager to face the world. It was just resoundingly, heart-crushingly empty. Jay tipped his metal hat up, trying and failing to make sense of what was going on. Even the robots seemed confused.

Ralph voice came over the comm, "We found the mothership, Flash. Wonder-Woman has my back as I upload the virus, shutting them down!"

But Jay couldn't find a reply.

Where the hell had the Kid gone?

* * *

Wally was immersed, bathed in white light that was just pure energy, humming around him as he reached out, touched it. Each stream of atomic energy hummed under his fingers, crackling like coals would on a campfire, burning, a little too intense, a little too much. It was scalding and hot and for a moment, Wally couldn't breathe, he was gasping for air as the white beams of energy coursed through his veins.

He didn't know how long it lasted, being bathed like this.

Days maybe.

Months even.

He was stuck in the scorching savanna heat of the fire, letting the speed use him as a grounding tool, collecting the energy, but unlike a lightning rod, he had no place to send it. His very body was blurring, moving so fast that his atoms were coming apart at the seams, and he felt a bit like those cartoons, with the dog coming apart in ribbons, which was ridiculous and funny but not-funny, and he was the dog, unravelling like a ribbon in the night.

And then he saw the robots, saw them from a distance. They were so unbelievably slow. Useless. He could sense their speeds, and he zoomed, faster than he ever had, faster than he had ever seen, just touching each one, feeling their energy, a mild barely registered hulk of- of false speed. The robots came apart, each atom losing it's energy, and the robots cooling under his fingers, slowly and slowly coming apart, until it crumbled to the ground.

He had just won his first major fight in mere minutes.

And he was vibrating, glowing.

He laughed, but it barely registered.

And then he turned to see Jay.

The older Flash was staring, boggle-eyed at the scene, trying to process what just occurred. He looked so shocked, stunned as metal collapsed, coming apart at their seams like patchy old quicks that Joan had sewn up rather than thrown out. Dead to the world, and the air seemed to be living, thriving.

"Uncle Jay!" called Wally, "It's me! I did it!"

Jay didn't hear him.

Well, that's not going to work.

Wally raced over, reaching just beside Uncle Jay, and Jay suddenly jumped at the rush of hot air. The man seemed to stare, trying and failing to see Wally. Wally frowned. That wasn't supposed to happen- was it?

"Uncle Jay!" called Wally again, failing to understand why his Uncle seemed unable to see him, "I'm right here! Can't you-

And then he realized it.

He was thrumming, humming with energy and singing an entire song that Jay would never ever hear. And in comparison, Jay was merely one whole note, being held throughout the entire performance. He was much softer to Wally's loud cacophony of music, unable to process the white noise in the background.

But the heat was a guess.

"Wa- Kid?" called the old man, staring wildly around him, "Kid- are you-

"I'm right here," called Wally, pressing a hand desperately into Jay's, and the man hissed as though burned, staring at his suddenly warm hand.

"Am I dreaming- Are you a ghost?" muttered the older man, but he was focused on the heat in his hand, trying to process what had just happened. Wally couldn't grasp such slow words, barely able to understand as Jay continued, "Oh boy kid, what the heck did you just do?"

Wally gaped, trying to understand, trying to fathom what the problem was.

"Match your kinetic energy kid, slow down," murmured Jay, looking concentrated and fascinated, "Come on kid, sss-lll-oooooooo-oowwww duhhhh-owwww-innnnnnn."

Slow down? No- Why? Wally couldn't fathom a reason to slow down. This was what was natural. This was the way it should be. Jay needed to speed up.

"You have to slow down kid," replied Jay to the unspoken thoughts, almost pleading, "Just slow it all down. Drop the energy, let it go."

And Wally did, uneasily, he did. He let the energy free from his hand, and felt Jay shudder as the speed charged through Jay's body. Jay was his lightning rod, collecting the energy, thriving under it. Jay reached out, vaguely, grabbing a turned over car, stabilizing himself as Wally slowed his heart rate, sought to match the slow, even pace Jay was setting for him.

The energy escaped outwards, seeking something to attach to. Jay placed the warm hand on the car engine, flung out of the car itself, and despite the damage the lack of battery, it revved, pumping and flowing as Jay held Wally's wrist, murmuring rubbish words that made no sense to Wally, but meant something as he continued to breathe.

Around them, heat flowed outwards, a warm wave of energy moving through the rather warm summer day, a sudden flash of heat that attracted one reporter to the scene, searching for her nephew in a dingy helicopter that was missing a window from a rather unfortunate burst of shrapnel.

And Wally slowed, breathing in and out, and this was exhausting in a way Wally couldn't explain. He was famished, and tired, and all but beaten up.

And then he heard Jay, properly heard him, calling out, "I got you kiddo. Right here."

And so he shut his eyes, and laid himself to rest.

* * *

Iris West-Allen was playing with the ring around her finger, as the helicopter moved towards the sudden hot wind that flowed, flapping the air lazily. A wave so characteristic of a Flash. And she arrived, cameraman Ryan zooming straight into the black, barely put together stack of rubble.

And in the old Flash's arms lay Wally, her baby, lying so still and oh no- no no no.

"Is he alright?" muttered Paul the pilot, and Iris couldn't focus.

"Iris," hissed the cameraman, "We're live!"

Iris gasped out into the headset, trying and failing to find her breath, and Jay looked up, hearing the copter soar as he picked Wally up, slinging him gently with a small smile up at the camera and a cheeky, and her heartbeat returned with a sudden bang, picking up speed and she was laughing brightly. Her eyes were a little wet, and thank god Ryan wasn't focusing on her, because Jay was taking the edge off, letting them glimpse Wally's face, masked as it was, and his red hair, far too tousled and looking a bit like her father Ira's, mad and wild and standing out all over the place.

"And there he is," she suddenly stated, "The Kid Flash- I mean, the Kid of Flash."

And Iris dabbed at her eyes with her blouse sleeve, steadying herself as she stared at Jay, putting Wally on his back and getting ready to run, "A mythic figure? A real hero? We'll never know, but whatever he is, he looks a bit tired out tonight. Will we see more of him?"

And then Jay sped away, gone with the wind.

"Who knows?"

* * *

Diana wasn't a regular visitor to Central City. In fact, most of the time, she was never scheduled to visit Central. Why would she? Unlike her fellow male counterparts of the League founders, Diana had no main city to call home. J'onn understood that, but then, J'onn was so fascinated with Earth that he had no desire to claim just one city. Nor did he really understand why heroes claimed a city.

Diana supposed she had ownership of Themscyira, but the Amazon maidens of home were more than adept at protecting themselves. They were warriors, and though they accepted Diana and Hippolyta's protection, they didn't quite need it in the same way that those of man's world did.

But Central was a surprisingly tenacious city.

It was often easy to see the city in the hero. Gotham was Batman, or perhaps, Batman was Gotham, rising out of the depths of Park Row's tragedy and the upper-crust manors, made to serve. Superman was Smallville, and then he was Metropolis. His heart was molded by the soft, rolling hills of a countryside that Diana didn't quite understand, but his exterior was the metal, the heart, the strength of Metropolis.

And Central, beloved little Central. Somehow important in the South, but a rather soft, simply city. They had a gentle, fiercely loyal personality, and some of the bravest men she had met. It was with trepidation that Diana allowed the police of CPCD and their SWAT team onto the mothership, allowing them to secure and detain, as their fire department kicked into work, securing civilians and aiding with the clean up.

"I told you- I'm made of rubber! Your medical care won't work the same- I just need some rest, but thank you," called out The Elongated Man, a curious man with a close friendship to the Flash and a body that even Diana couldn't quite fathom.

The purple-suited man was waving off the first aid, as his nose twisted on it's own, still somewhat bruised, but like Barry's body, perfectly capable of healing himself.

"The majority of the country is secure Elongated Man," replied Diana crisply to the unasked question, "I believe that the threat has ended. Batman is calling all heroes to the Hall of Justice to deliver their reports and receive first aid. Do you need to go?"

"Just my nose," said the man flippantly, elongated his arm to wave it about as though the matter was hardly important. It was highly ridiculous, considering his arm was longer than his body, but it was somewhat amusing nonetheless, "I'll repair it while we work. Might need some food though."

"Your metabolism is like the Flash's?" asked Diana, as she began to fly around, lifting the larger pieces of rubble.

"Hardly," choked Elongated Man, sounding amused at the very idea, "Similar, but I don't need to eat a truck-load per day. Just after a fight to get the energy to rebuild my body. I'm like a hydra, cut one arm off-"

And voila, his arm split, two arms sprouting from his shoulder. And then they snapped back almost immediately into one arm. .

"Can't alter my bone structure," replied the Elongated Man with a shrug, "It's one of those anomalies. Can we hurry up on the cleanup? I need to find Jay and - the Kid."

Diana was impressed, and she nodded subtly, "I'll fly ahead and clear the majority of the damage."

And then she was in the air. As she flew away, she heard Ralph wolf-whistling at her form with some of the firemen. They all seemed a little amused, and while she was a little annoyed, she was also a little amused. Ralph was already barking orders and putting the cheer back into the day, even if it wasn't the way she entirely approved of. Any other day she might have been suitably upset.

But maybe, just today, in Central City, it was okay to be a little amused after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit me up on tumblr!


	19. Winding Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now our story reaches a climatic conclusion.

Hal groaned as he helped an old lady to the refugee shelter. Most of the Metropolis citizens knew the drills inside out. Hell, most of these guys were giving him directions and ordering him about. That little old lady stayed stubborn the whole time, making Hal wait for her to do her make-up before they left her bashed in apartment.

Clean up was both tedious and terribly important.

Part of clean up was to clear away rubble and make the roads safe for the fire-fighters and cops to go through, picking up repairs. More importantly, it gave the ambulances roads to through, reaching the inner city and helping the injured that were too critical to transport. Hal, being a Green Lantern, could mostly transport the ill and dying using the lantern constructs. But it wasn't always the safest method.

Other times, it was about keeping the press away from the damage while simultaneously not giving them anything false to report that could lead to the League's integrity being questioned. Sometimes, like today, it was just about making sure that everyone was evacuated from the crumbly city remains, checking to make sure that everyone was safe, or at least, as safe as they could be. And in the most urgent events, it was about making sure that the society VIPs weren't kidnapped, abducted or gutted to the bone and left to rot, because whether you liked or disliked them, they had a lot of power, and in the wrong hands, that power could destabilize a country.

Facilitating the cleanup process was one of the more difficult tasks. Most people were now so used to the damage and destruction that they refused to listen to your structurally sound advice.

'Ma'am, your building is most likely going to collapse in the next three hours from the wear and tear and the heavy wind blowing on those very unstable columns.' 'Well sir, I think I'll weather my chances and pack a suitcase of all my furniture and clothes and those trophies I won in sixth grade swimming for participation- oh, you have others to save- well then, go ahead. I'll be right here.' 'Ma'am, that was an estimate, it could fall now. Well then Mr. Lantern- fix it up so I can pack those trophies!'

And on and on and on.

Of course, they were far more grateful if you were their city champion. If Hal was back in Coast, directing the clean-up, the citizens would listen more, be more indulgent of his whims. Hal would be able to delegate tasks and handle the entire situation without lifting a thumb or making conjectures that were subtly veiled threats and worst-case scenarios.

And finally- finally!- the situation was under control enough, and most missing persons were collected and the hospitals were churning with the arrivals of injured and broken patients, and Hal was free to leave Metropolis to their ordinary heroes, the civil servants who had become so adept at slapping on bandages to their always bruised city.

Tomorrow morning, the carnage would be a fretful dream.

Next week, it would be a long-forgotten memory.

Hal arrived in Washington, despite his urge to head to Central. He was required to deliver a report, and if Barry was ready to head out, he could hitch a ride on the fastest man alive. Washington was rubble and diamond around him. The Pentagon was still standing tall, the White House still emblazoned across the smoky sky. The roads were sleek and curved, pooling around the feet of the city, as rubble disappeared into the wind.

Red Tornado arrived on the scene from the attacks in Happy Harbour, and he was making a joke of the clean-up process as slack-jawed construction workers began to do their jobs, filling in gaps and adding in beams and making the mess go away.

As Hal entered the Hall of Justice, still intact and already in use after a year of being a symbol of strength, he was met with a barrage of color.

Heroes were milling around the halls, the press unable to reach them in this sanctuary. Bright golds and blues and reds and greens and purples milled about, moving gaily after a rather unhelpful day. Hal saw the Huntress limping out of the corner of his eye, though she didn't seem entirely upset at the prospect, with the Question holding her up as she nursed a sprain and a bruised jaw and kissed the living daylight out of a faceless man.

Hal still didn't understand that relationship in the slightest.

There was a cackle from the ceiling, and Hal looked up to see Robin, running around with a flashy yellow cape and swinging like a chimpanzee with his grappling hook, giggling as young boys can. Speedy was on the ground, damp with water and blood, which steered Hal away from reporting to Batman, and over to the teenager's side.

Roy looked up, domino mask's whited out eyes widening in surprise. It was nice to see some expression from those new models, though Hal suspected Batman preferred the expressionless ones.

"Whose blood, kid?" asked Hal, staring at the dark-brownish red stains on the bright red suit, smearing even the ridiculous yellow hat.

"Civilians," replied Speedy with a shrug of his shoulders, "Some shrapnel caught my chest though, so some is mine. Robin got lucky and walked away mostly just one big bruise and an adrenaline spike. I give him three more hours before he's napping behind the Batman statue."

Hal smirked and nodded, subtly letting the ring scan over Roy for a confirmation of the wounds.

Roy was still talking, however, as he said, "Dinah patched me up as I got in. Ollie's in surgery right now."

"He's in what?!" gaped Hal.

"Surgery," replied the teenager, lower lip jutting out, "Idiot got too close to the mother ship and launched a bunch of explosive arrows. His spleen's ruptured. J'onn's setting it right. Dinah's fine though, but really pissed off. Said he was being unnecessarily heroic."

Hal stored away that information, and then glanced up as Robin came sliding down, hanging upside down from the ceiling, his dark hair flopping about his face as he giggled, looking for all the world excited.

"Ollie's out of surgery and sedated, and old Flash just got in with his wife and Elongated Man's wife. The Kid's with them," announced Robin, before flipping to the ground, now standing at barely half of Hal's height, cheeks still chubby with baby fat despite the very dangerous batarangs strapped to his tiny utility belt.

Hal snapped to attention at the message though, and gave both boys a nod, taking in Speedy's relieved expression and Robin's delighted look, and said, "I'll let Kid know he's got fans and send him here when he's done."

Both boys were nodding delightedly, though Speedy's more subdued and downplayed, too much of a teenager to be excited about meeting some kid. Robin was far more chirpy, on his hands and walking around and babbling inanely to an uninterested Speedy, who began to polish his bow now that he was relaxed enough to appreciate the exercise.

Hal headed off.

He had a Kid to check up on.

* * *

Jay brought a sleeping Wally and Joan and Sue through the zetas, arriving in Washington almost two hours after Wally collapsed. He already messaged Batman, requesting a private meeting. The footage of Wally's escapade needed to evaporate into the air, at least until Jay knew what the hell that meant.

Joan and Sue were fussy ladies despite their differences, and Wally was strapped to a bed in the Hall of Justice, being coddled despite his lack of consciousness. Joan brought a blanket. Jay gave her an hour before she found a kitchen and began baking to de-stress herself. Ralph was more than okay to handle the clean-up with Wonder Woman, while Superman jetted out to Austin to help Mister Miracle and Big Barda finish up their part of the fight.

Batman was sedate as Jay walked in, his hands clicking over monitors and regulating the fight, like the Generals during the Second Great War. A long time ago, Jay would cow himself before those men, in awe of their skill, in awe of their talents. That boy had evolved into a superhero, and then into a veteran, and then into a teacher. That boy had served many Generals. They weren't so awe-inspiring anymore. The boy had pioneered Batman's movement. Established the legacy for generations to carry.

"Can I help you?" came Batman's dark voice. It wasn't smooth like most men, but rather rough and jagged with hints of a growl meant to intimidate and inspire fear. Jay hadn't met Batman many times before, and he wondered if the voice ever left, or if it was so integrally Batman that the man didn't even realize the inflections he utilized.

"I need footage erased, and you seem to be the man to go to," replied Jay casually, leaning against the door.

Batman cocks an eyebrow, and Jay explains the situation. Batman requests no more information, but erases the video, saving only a clip for Barry to see, and most probably, a clip for his own archive. Nothing to be done about that.

When Jay returns to the room, Hal has arrived, and the Lantern looks exhausted but is sitting upright, regaling Joan and Sue with delightful tales of today's adventure, while simultaneously running his ring's green light over the boy. Jay still can't get used to the new-fangled Lanterns, running around as an army with their shiny black and green suits, their lack of cape and their rings that are used to save the galaxy rather than host the Star Heart. Jay makes a note to call Alan. He hasn't heard from the old Lantern in a long time.

"He's fine," announces Hal as Jay enters, the ladies breathing with relief at that announcement, and Jay nods. "He's just exhausted, depleted of energy. He'll probably sleep through the night."

And Hal's right.

Wally snores away, sleeping through Jay putting the boy on an IV, getting the kid hydrated and pumping in nutrients to help build up energy stores, because he remembers the heat wave, the car battery jumping and pumping as Wally gave out energy in a manner Jay had never seen before.

Wally's still asleep an hour later when Barry arrives, and hears of his wife flying a helicopter into the battle fray. He's asleep when Iris arrives and scolds her husband for worrying, a pre-emptive strike to avoid his worry. Wally sleeps through heroes coming in and out of the building, most unaware that there is a Kid Flash in the house. And those that are aware, give them privacy, letting Wally sleep as Jay talks to Barry about the event.

* * *

Despite Speedy and Robin's hopes, Wally never woke up, and Barry took the boy back to Central. At home, Iris capitalizes on being the only reporter to get footage of the Flash's kid, and gives impromptu over the phone interviews. The little girl and mother that Wally saved are giving interviews and scheduled for talk shows. An injured man comes off of morphine and regales the patients at the hospital with the stories of the boy who deflected shrapnel and dust while the elderly man carried him away and saved his life. And a cat meows at his humans, who do not seem to understand that the cat had a harrowing yellow-and-red experience with a boy who runs faster than the wind.

Barry, however, cannot revel in these moments.

Jay holed Barry up in the sitting room, and they keep replaying the clip of Wally's fight. The white beams disappears when Wally runs into it. Gone as though it were never there. Barry can't begin to fathom what it means. Jay's face is grim as he repeats the clips for Barry to regard, and neither can even fathom what it might mean.

"We need to talk to his parents, Barry," Jay said one night, after all the excitement has faded and Wally finally wakes up, nearly twenty hours of sleep later.

"Yeah," replied Barry, feeling exhausted, "Yeah, we do."

* * *

 

Before the confrontation with the Wests, however, they needed to talk to Wally. The kid in question spent most of his time awake eating. Between Iris and Joan's cooking, Wally was able to eat three full meals in one sitting. Ralph and Sue left an hour after Wally woke up, wishing him well and promising to stop by for Thanksgiving or Christmas, if they weren't off globe-trotting and solving mysteries.

Wally curled up on the couch with his Uncle Barry, while Iris slept off the post-case high, exhausted from the rumor mill circulating about Kid Flash.

"Wally," asked Barry casually, and then he posed the questions. How had Wally deflected the energy beam- and where did Wally think it went?

"Go- it didn't go anywhere Uncle Barry," replied Wally, looking perfectly confused at the question, "It was right there, and then I just touched it and went faster and I was speed."

Barry couldn't make sense of that response, and he felt like he was on the other side of a glass wall, seeing Wally but not hearing him. Wally witnessed his uncle's confusion, and took another stab at illustrating his explanation.

"I- The energy beam- It's just speed Uncle Barry, and we're speed- ergo I was the energy beam," replied Wally, and Barry still felt helplessly confused.

How could anyone be speed?

Jay was equally confused when Wally repeated the explanation to him. Wally, predictably, was unruffled by their inability to comprehend Wally's experience.

"Wally," explained Jay, "You can't do that again- not until we've tested what it means, alright kid?"

"And you need to stay below the speed of sound," instructed Barry sternly, as Wally's face fell at such limitations, "Whatever happened with that energy beam, you went way too fast and nearly didn't come down from it. Until we can get a handle on your powers, we need you to pace yourself."

And Barry needed to brace himself for what was going to come.

* * *

Despite Barry and Iris' wishes, the day came that the Wests needed to be told. It was decided that Wally would stay with Jay and Joan until the entire plan was aired, and then the Wests could see Wally, just in case anything unexpected happened, or something went entirely wrong.

Arriving at the West house, Barry's stomach was churning and Iris' hands were clenched. Neither Mary nor Rudy showed to be particularly warm or welcoming. They seemed almost despondent to the idea of having the two over for lunch, and Barry settled for tea.

In the awkward, uncomfortable silence, both couples faced off in the living room from whence Barry first met Wally and the West family. The couches had faded and lacked the new-furniture luster. The walls were cluttered with photos, of which Barry and Iris were removed from completely in the recent years. Mary was sipping a glass of tea that Barry could smell from a distance was most definitely mixed with brandy, and Rudy's breath smelled of tobacco from restarting smoking.

"We wanted to talk to you two about Wally's accident," began Iris, firm and confident despite her shaking foot, that kept tapping Barry's as she fidgeted.

"The one he got out of your husband's book?" replied Mary sharply, setting her spiked tea down on the coffee table, "The one that nearly took his life?"

Barry had to wince at that. This was not going to be a very healthy conversation at all.

"Yes," replied Iris coolly.

Barry stepped in here, as he said, "Wally did the experiment successfully."

Both Rudy and Mary were staring at Barry as though he lost his mind. Rudy's hand was gripping at the air, searching for purchase as he growled, "Are you telling me that nearly losing his life was a success, Allen? Or was it zapping him stupid that was a success?! Because let me tell you what I define as a fucking success!"

"Wally was replicating an experiment that was actually an accident I went through," continued Barry, steering through the conversation despite his unease, "It changed my life."

Both Wests were silent as Iris gripping Barry's knees, her knuckled paling as she swallowed a long swig of her coffee, and Barry announced, "It made me the Flash."

Both Wests stilled, staring at him as though he lost his mind, and Barry decided they needed a demonstration. He swiped his hands in the air, so fast that he managed to rearrange the entire tea setting before either West could blink, leaving Mary's spiked tea in front of Iris, and Iris' black coffee in front of Rudy.

Mary screamed at the sudden change, clutching her chest and gasping for air, while Rudy gawped at the action, seemingly unable to connect what happened to Barry Allen, mild-mannered boring little scientist that wasn't quite strong enough to play police officer.

"You- How- what?" breathed Rudy, staring at Barry with eyes that Barry couldn't decipher.

"I'm the Flash," announced Barry again, and the two adults seemed to be still in a state of shock, "And Wally replicated the procedure that made me what I am. And he did it successfully."

Finally, that registered in the minds of the Wests, and Mary, still a bit flustered, asked, "Success- Barry's a - Wally's-

"On the news- Was that Wally?!" demanded Rudy, his mind working faster now to make the connections, "You took my son out to fight- fight-

"Wally was fighting?!" gasped Mary, sitting upright and glaring at both aunt and uncle.

"He wasn't supposed to," said Barry calmly, "He snuck out."

"Impossible!" touted a scornful Rudy, "Wally doesn't have a disobedient bone in his body. Kid's good as gold! What the fuck did you do to him?! Was this your fucking plan?! Ruin my kid- turn him into some freak like you?!"

Mary paused at those words, eyes widening and then turning sharply to Iris as she demanded, "Are you the Flash too?"

The sudden accusations were so ludicrous that Iris stood straight up, shocked and on her feet and furious as she yelled back, "Of course I'm not! And Barry wasn't trying to steal Wally away and it wasn't disobedience! He wanted to help- to be a hero! Barry's trying to teach him control- not steal him away!"

"How the fuck did he find the notes, Iris?!" demanded Rudy, standing up as Mary began to mutter under her breath, "You fucking set the kid up! You two took advantage of his fucking naivety and made him into something he's not! Wally's not some spandex-running 'hero'- He's a fucking kid! He's going to grow up to be a fucking normal person! Hell, at least as a genius he'd make some money- what money do 'heroes' make? You've ruined his life!"

Iris couldn't find an argument for that logic, despite her wholehearted disagreement. Her tongue was silent, as Mary began to weep into her hands, dramatically moaning for her son, and it was all so messed up and wrong that Barry just didn't know what to say.

"That- That's not true," stabbed Iris, turning to Barry and pleading with her eyes.

"Wally doesn't have to be a hero," said Barry quietly, getting the attention of the room again, "He can still be ordinary, but he still needs to learn control of his powers. He's a metahuman now."

Mary's eyes had gone wide at the perfectly executed statement, and Rudy was glowering heavily at the idea.

"Metahuman?" asked Mary, sounding very very uneasy by the term, "You mean- you mean those thugs and freaks that roam the cities. Aren't they- I mean- People want them tossed into prisons- don't they?"

Barry winced again. It was very true. Metahumans weren't exactly the most welcomed members of society. And Rudy was frothing at the mouth as he digested the term.

"You made him into a proper freak!" snarled Rudy, "He'll never be an ordinary kid ever again!"

"He's still your son Rudy!" argued Iris, "And we're not here to argue about what's happened! We need to sit down and decide what to do to fix this situation. Wally needs special care and time, hell the grocery bills are going to change and we need to come to a conclusion of what we're doing for him now!"

The tension was sucked out of the air at that, and Rudy sat down, bent over his knees and arms folded into a prayer, looking as though he'd been handed a death sentence. Iris sat nervously beside Barry, who wrapped a hand over her knee and squeezed in reassurance. Nobody said anything as they digested the situation.

Finally, Barry opened the discussion again with a gentle, "What would you like to be done?"

Rudy was breathing heavily, as Mary sat blankly, glaring at the two of them as though they were to blame for Rudy's anger and uneasiness, and Barry supposed she was right about that.

"No," said Rudy firmly, sitting upright and glaring at the Allens.

Iris paused, and stared at her brother as she asked delicately, "No what?"

"We're not- Mary and I are normal people. We want a normal life, and we're doing things normally. You fucked up. You wanted the kid so bad that you turned him into a monster. A menace to society- and now you want us to clean up your fucking mess?" snarled Rudy, "Bullshit! You want the kid- keep him!"

Mary gasped at Rudy's declaration, tears pricking at her eyes as Iris and Barry both stilled, jaws dropping at Rudy's unbelievable sentiment, while Mary began to babble at her husband, "Rudy- Rudy no- We can't just let them take Wally. They'll win that way- Wally's our son, he's my little boy Rudy- they can't just take him away! We can fix this- Take him to the doctor- Rudy no!"

It was so utterly bizarre to watch, unfathomable to even process. Rudy poised stonily on the couch, arms folded across his chest and unmovable, while Mary wailed on his arm, pleading with Rudy to reconsider, to not to do this- to consider Wally and how he needed them- to not let Iris and Barry win this round.

"Rudy- Rudy you can't," begged Mary, "Think about-

"Shut up!" yelled Rudy back to his wife, silencing her in her tracks, "We'll start over, do it properly, keep them away from the new kid-

Iris snapped at those words, while Barry was still processing what was going on, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Are you absolutely fucking insane?!" she demanded, furious and self-righteous as she stood, glowering at both husband and wife, "You can't just toss Wally out! He's your son-

"Now you acknowledge it," replied Rudy, eyes raving mad as he stood, glowering so heavily at Iris, "It was always my family! My father that you stole from me! My son that you stole from me and now you fucking acknowledge that you were never a damned part of my family- because you stole it! And you took them away from me because you're- you're the devil! Well you wanted my life so badly- have it! I'll start again and I'll keep him away from you poisonous, vile-

"Enough!" roared Barry, standing furiously to defend Iris, who had gone white at the hate spewing from Rudy's mouth, "Enough! You don't deserve him! You don't deserve Iris as a sister, and you don't deserve Wally as your son! If you don't want Wally- fine! It's your loss Rudolph! But you can't stand there and toss them out of your life like trash. You don't get to do that to either of them!"

Barry took Iris' hand, as she struggled to formulate words, "We'll be leaving. Goodbye Mary. If you need us, you know our number."

Rudy was cowed at Barry's anger, but the stony, hateful strange face was still there. Still glaring at Barry as though he'd committed an unforgivable crime. The malice twisted Rudy's once handsome features into a demonic caricature. And Mary, simple Mary, was sitting on the couch and sobbing. She didn't acknowledge their departure.

And she never called.

She chose.


	20. Everything Comes Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a fit. Basically. Reread a lot of YJ stuff, remembered my love. etc etc.
> 
> Apologies are at the end of this fic, as well as explanations. But here we are. A final chapter. Thank god.

It was understandably difficult to explain the situation to Wally. The child didn't understand what it meant, or why things had soured so suddenly. The worst part was that the Wests had cut the landline, and their house had gone up for sale and they were just gone, gone within the two days it took for Iris and Barry to sort through the betrayal and abandonment that Wally felt.

All that was left was a letter from Mary.

Wally tucked the letter away, and never spoke of what it said.

What happened after that was rather textbook in how quickly things went. Iris shoved her emotions about Rudy down her throat and didn't speak of the Wests. Instead, she and Barry bought a townhome, a block away from the Garricks. Hal helped them move. Helped them set up the second bedroom for Wally, who filled it wall to wall with superheroes and action figures and the Flash.

The Garricks cooked, and they had a small barbecue. They invited Speedy and Robin, both equally boisterous and teasing, but equally eager to get to know the new kid on the block. Wally was thrilled, distracted by their presence.

It wasn't enough to make up for everything that had happened, but it was a step in the direction to being whole.

* * *

It would be easy to say that it was magical, the way Wally settled into life with the Allens. As though it was something that was always meant to be. It would also be a lie, and if Barry was anything, he was honest. It wasn't easy. Wally missed his parents, and Bruce tried, he did, to locate them. He probably did find them, but he never approached Barry. The search, after all, didn't matter. Not anymore, at least. The Wests never called, the Allens never tried. It was a lost relationship on both ends, and in this strange custodial hearing, it was Wally that lost.

The Garricks were a blessing. Constantly stepping in to babysit, to help with the homework, to sit and watch Wally just be Wally. That, perhaps, was the strangest thing. Wally learning to be Wally.

There were rumours, the media dogged Flash for joining the child endangerment bandwagon. Several supermodels came out as the Flash's secret lover. Even more ordinary women. Everyone with a splash of red hair was vying for the position as the Kid's baby mother. None of these stories fell through, but the media dogged each speculation. It was different, because the Batman and Robin were too different for the media to assume a relation, and because nobody could confirm if Speedy was indeed the Green Arrow's biological or adopted child. But the Flash's kid, with his exact powers? Had to be blood.

It was a bitter joke in the Allen house, one only made once and immediately forgotten because if Barry was anything, he was honest. And the minute Wally became any bit a speedster, biologically, he was theirs. Iris, of course, hesitated, because she had known Mary. Had liked Mary. They didn't say it, never explicitly. But parental rights were theirs.

Time passed, and the Kid did make an official debut. Captain Cold went easy, used a lighter Freeze Ray, one that wasn't as chilly. Nobody commented on it because Wally had preserved the frozen boot in the freezer. Missions came, Missions went.

Life went on. And slowly, slowly the pieces came together.

* * *

The news of the Wests' divorce came down the pipeline, as these things always do. Iris heard first, from an old friend from High School who was now married and wanted all the dirt on the details. Two years too late, was Iris' only remark, before she left work, always a bit tired, but that was a natural state. Wally was now in High School, full time and proper. She didn't know what Mary intended, but it was exhausting just thinking about the woman. Telling Barry that night over dinner worked her into a state, and Barry, sweet, gentle Barry, he took her aside and whispered, concerned, soft words that made her heart soften, as she nodded consent.

Wally listened. The letter remained un-open, as he asked to skip dinner that night.

"He's in Gotham, isn't he?" asked Barry, sitting with Iris as an advertisement for a cruise flashed on television.

"He's with his friends," said Iris, her smile a secret, for them, and only them. "Let him have some fun."

So they let Wally go, and have fun, because that was part of Wally's life, and he deserved that break. That right to be happy without them. For a long time, Wally had been scared, scared he'd never have friends again. Those memories were a distant past.

"Should we go on a cruise, Mr. Allen?" asked Iris, staring at the gaudily clad announcer on the screen, and Barry laughed.

There was a whoosh of air, and a taller, more confident boy stood behind them, grinning as he said, "I could be down for a cruise."

Wally West was no longer the same boy Iris and Barry remembered, the one that clung to his mother's shoulder, the one that didn't know how to speak up. He was more vocal, more confident. He spoke assuredly. Stood taller. The boy that he had been was left behind, clinging to his mother's skirts somewhere. Some days, Barry missed him. Some days, Iris wondered if they'd done right by that boy, if he would have been this happy had she removed him sooner. Had she taken more action. But most days, the small family had some quiet relief, sitting around the television and joking about commercials, as they were now.

"You get to visit the League Hall tomorrow, right?" said Iris, "You should head to bed early."

Wally gave a grin, and accepted the hug, a kiss to his temple, but he found his way, meandering up the stairs, towards his bedroom. It was odd, watching him go, knowing that tomorrow, the same boy that had stumbled into the League in his Jay's arms, half dead from the exposure to strange energy beams, would be joining the League, working with them part time in their Hall. Was working on his way up to the Justice League itself.

"Time flies, huh?" asked Barry, wrapping an arm around Iris' waist.

"It really does," she mused, setting the empty bowl of popcorn on the table, the kernels rattling against each other, "You know we should probably follow him to bed too, you have an early day tomorrow."

"Wouldn't want to be late, now would we? Fastest men on Earth," teased Barry, grinning at the idea - he was building such an unfortunate reputation with that. But it was ridiculously apt for him.

"Come on Flash, bed time," said Iris.

And if the two of them ducked into Wally's room, each on separate times, Barry, taking a full minute as Iris washed her face, to brush a hand on the sleeping teenager's head, and Iris, a full five as Barry showered, to brush her nephew's head, and give him a soft kiss on his temple, neither of them said anything. After all, time really had flown.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

They were coming together, at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sort of despicable, updating this with such a short ending. Mostly I hated not having this finished, y'know.
> 
> I guess this demands explanations.
> 
> Well... I started university. That was a doozy and a half. To say it lightly. I loved and hated it. Warning for those of you that go into university - IT IS NOT LIKE THE MOVIES. I survived nearly failing. Some anxiety. etc etc. It was a hell of a time. Practically dropped off the face of the earth.
> 
> I also started RPing on forums, writing a bit there, which has been great on my nerves, and I've made lifelong friendships. That said, it took into a lot of my writing time. And partially I just wasn't feeling the YJ fandom at the time, with all the change and my own issues alongside things. Coming back to this fic, I am appalled and slightly ashamed to admit I don't even remember what I wrote. Had to reread it. But it's finished now. Woo.
> 
> In terms of the other fics, I will not be completing them. It's just been too long. If I do complete anything, it may be Bat-Clan. I don't know. Don't hold me to it. I know this had a sequel, but Christ. It's been too long. A lot has changed. I am writing, on another alias, on AO3. I will be writing YJ stuff again, but only on AO3 and nothing is coming, not yet at least. I'd rather be finished it before I post, if I post. My confidence took a beating, and well, eh. Personal stuff sucks. Don't grow up.
> 
> In short. This is an ending. It's the best I can do after so long. I'm sorry. But thank you for supporting this fic, and thank you for your affection over the years 3


End file.
